Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power reported on its Facebook page early Monday that the number of power outages due to Saturday's storm was down to 1,800. Crews are focused on the Royalton area. GMP said in the post that it expects to get power back to all customers today. However, GMP noted that another thunderstorm is expected to hit Vermont later on Monday, which could cause further outages. GMP crews continue to work around the clock, restoring power to 32,400 customers since a wave of powerful thunderstorms swept across Vermont Saturday afternoon. Heavy winds blew down large trees onto power lines and cutting power across the state. About 1800 customers in the areas around the Royalton and White River Districts that sustained the most severe damage remain without power, and an army of crews is working to restore power to them as quickly and safely as possible.
GMP photos.
“We are intensely focused on restoring power to those who remain out in the Royalton and White River Junction area, working around the clock, with as many as 500 people in the field,” said Kristin Carlson, Chief Communications Executive. “This was a very powerful and dangerous storm and crews continue to replace broken poles and string new lines, often working for many hours to restore power for a single customer.”
Crews prioritize storm restoration work, so that large numbers of customers are restored as quickly as possible. They are now focused on restoring power mostly to customers in more rural areas where damage was significant and repairs take many hours.
“While we wrap up restoration efforts, we are putting together plans to ensure we are well prepared with staff and contract crews to respond quickly to the storm that is predicted for tonight,” said Carlson. “No matter what Mother Nature throws at us, we will be ready.”
Green Mountain Power reminds the public to stay away from downed power lines and trees with power lines tangled in them as those lines could still be live. If you encounter a downed line, keep clear and call emergency responders immediately.
“We want the public to stay safe during these storms, so please keep clear of lines and report outages immediately,” Carlson added.
Green Mountain Power will provide updates on Facebook, Twitter and to the media. Customers may report outages and get updates through GMP’s text service or award winning app, as well as calling 1-888-835-4672, or visiting GMP’s Outage Center page at www.greenmountainpower.com.
To get the latest information on outages and restoration times, customers can sign up for text service alerts, by texting REG to 46788 or GMPVT, or signing up online at greenmountainpower.com/
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and has a vision to be the best small company in America by partnering with Vermonters to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. In 2014, Vote Solar named GMP a Solar Champion. More information at: www.greenmountainpower.com
Source: GMP 7.25.2016