A line of severe storms that rolled across the state last night knocked out power to about 12,000 CVPS customers at the peak of the event around 6:30 p.m. The storms caused outages in Franklin, Chittenden, Addison, Orange, Windsor, Rutland and Bennington counties, before largely sparing the Brattleboro area and leaving the region.
The high wind gusts broke several utility poles (five in the Middlebury area alone), brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines, and lightning strikes caused damage across the state.
CVPS crews and support staff worked through the night last night and will continue working through today to restore power to the fewer than 300 CVPS customers still out this morning. Those customers should have their power restored by late this afternoon, barring any other problems.
Check vtoutages.com and http://www.cvps.com/CustomerService/outages for up-to-date power outage numbers by town, and page me if you need additional information.
SAFETY -- 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 your 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.
CVPS offered several safety tips for coping with the outages:
Treat any downed line as if it is live. Report the line to your local utility and fire department, stay at least 50 feet away from the line, and keep children and pets away as well.
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.
CVPS. 7.7.2011