CVPS crews restored power to more than 20,000 customer outages yesterday and last night, after strong winds pounded the state Wednesday, knocking out power to more than 29,000 CVPS customers. Wind gusts above hurricane force hit several of the state, as part of a storm that affected much of the East Coast and knocked out the power to tens of thousands of Vermonters.
As of 7:30 am Thursday morning, 9,600 CVPS customers remain without power, the majority in Rutland, Addison, Chittenden and Orange and Windsor counties. CVPS crews and more than 35 outside contract crews will be working through the day today and into this evening to restore power as quickly as is safely possible.
Crews worked through the night last night and made good progress in Franklin, Addison and Rutland counties, but much work remains. ‘Numerous tress on one or two section of lines will make the going slow as the numbers continue to go down,’ said spokeswoman Christine Rivers, ‘but our crews will continue to work around the clock today.’
‘The winds were severe yesterday,’ said Manager of Field Operations Geno Balestra. ‘In Poultney, there were trees down all along Route 30, and I saw cars pulled over along Route 4 because the wind was blowing so hard.’
About 2,900 customers are without power in Addison County, 4,700 customers in Rutland County, 980 in Chittenden County, with scattered outages in other central and northern counties. Many customers will have their power back by late tonight, but some customers in Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Rutland counties may be without power into tomorrow.
‘We had a number of broken poles, and trees just came down everywhere, bringing down lines with them,’ Rivers said. ‘It was dangerous out there yesterday afternoon and last night. Our crews had to abandon their work and return to the safety of their vehicles many times, as trees were coming down all around them.
‘We urge people to stay away from downed lines they may see today, and anything in contact with those lines. Never assume a line lying on the ground is de-energized. Stay at least 50 feet away,’ Rivers said.
Up-to-date outage numbers (by town) can be found at: http://www.cvps.com/CustomerService/outages/default.aspx and http://vtoutages.com/
CVPS offered several safety tips for coping with the outages:
* STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES. Don't touch or even go near downed wires! These wires can be energized and can cause serious injuries or death. If the line is blocking the road or in contact with a vehicle with people inside, call you local police or fire emergency number first. Then call CVPS. Instruct others to keep at least 50 feet away, and keep pets and livestock away as well.
* Assume all objects touching the power line are also energized. Never attempt to remove trees or limbs from any utility lines! Notify CVPS of the situation.
* If using a generator, read and follow the owner's manual before starting the generator. Never operate a generator inside any structure or near a structure. Use a transfer switch to ensure electricity is not accidentally fed onto a line where line crews must work.
* Keep freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible to prevent food spoilage.
* If power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances except one light so you'll know when service returns. Then, turn equipment back on slowly.
Additional safety tips can be found at: http://www.cvps.com/Safety/StormSafety.aspx
Source: CVPS. 12.2.2010. 7:30 a.m. ‘
CVPS: Crews restore power to more than 11,000 over night
Submitted by tim
on