In the morning hours of January 18, 2026 occurred in Drensteinfurt and the district Rinkerode a major power outage. Numerous households were temporarily without power after several transformer stations failed. Areas along the railroad line and neighboring residential areas were particularly affected.
The Ostmünsterland municipal utilities immediately activated their 24-hour incident response service. In total 23 stations affected. It was possible to gradually restore the supply by switching the grid. Towards 10:38 a.m. all households were reconnected to the power grid.
Cause still unclear - troubleshooting underway
The exact cause of the outage is still unclear. The municipal utilities have been able to narrow down the affected section of the network and are preparing to use a special measuring van to precisely locate the fault. Repair work will then follow. No rescue operations were reported as a result of the power outage.
The incident shows once again how quickly even smaller towns can be affected by disruptions to the energy supply - and how important basic household preparation is.
Municipal utilities gradually reconnect households to the grid
The Ostmünsterland municipal utilities responded quickly: four members of the 24-hour emergency service were deployed to restore the supply. In total 23 stations down, especially in the Rinkerode area. By cleverly switching to redundant lines, it was possible to gradually restore power to the affected households. Towards 10:38 a.m. the last household was finally reconnected to the grid.
Troubleshooting underway - repair work to follow
Although the power is back on, the exact cause of the outage has not yet been determined. The municipal utilities have been able to narrow down the approximate area of the damage and are now preparing to deploy a special measuring van to locate the exact fault. Subsequently Repair work in the course of Monday begin.
Cause initially unclear
At the time of reporting, it was unclear why the stations failed. Stadtwerke emphasized that every effort was being made to quickly identify the cause and ensure grid stability. The management of the local grid was only taken over by a new operator at the beginning of January, which makes the situation even more complex.
No rescue operations reported due to failure
The control center of the fire department in the Warendorf district reported that there were there were no operations directly related to the power outage. This indicates that, despite the interruption, there were no major incidents or hazards due to the power outage.
Checklist: What to do in the event of a power failure?
Immediate measures
- Keep calm and check whether the power outage only affects your own home or the entire surrounding area
- Check fuses and RCDs
- Use a flashlight or headlamp (do not use candles unattended)
- Disconnect sensitive electrical appliances from the mains as a precaution
Ensure information
- Switch on the battery-operated or crank radio
- Use your cell phone sparingly, activate energy-saving mode
- Observe instructions from public utilities or authorities
Household & Supply
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed if possible
- Use water sparingly, as pumps can fail
- Wear warm clothing and only use individual rooms if possible
Emergency supplies - basic equipment
- Drinking water (at least 2 liters per person per day)
- Shelf-stable food such as canned food, rice, pasta or crispbread
- Flashlights and spare batteries
- Power bank or alternative charger
- First aid kit and regularly required medication
- Cash in small denominations
Security & environment
- Avoid elevators
- Only use open flames with great care
- Keep an eye on neighbors, the elderly or people in need of help
- Only use emergency numbers for real emergencies
After restoring the power supply
- Reconnect electrical appliances step by step
- Check the function of important devices
- Check stocks and replenish if necessary
- Note down your own experiences: What was missing, what was helpful?
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