Line Crews are making significant progress repairing outages but GMP expects significant additional outages as storm rages on
Green Mountain Power crews are making progress restoring power to the more than 55,000 customers affected by last night’s first round of snow, but today’s additional snow is adding weight to the trees, which are falling and causing more outages. GMP urges the public to be safe as road conditions deteriorate late this afternoon. Conditions are worse than predicted and outages could last for days as the storm rages on. GMP is grateful for the public’s patience and support at this time and encourages Vermonters to check on their neighbors, especially the elderly.
“Our crews are doing a great job tackling adverse weather conditions and severe damage around the state,” said Dorothy Schnure, GMP’s spokesperson. “The latest round of wet, heavy snow starting again this afternoon is likely to cause many more outages and could delay restoration times significantly. While we have 15,000 still without power, we expect it will take well into Friday and possibly Saturday before all are restored. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the public for their patience and understanding.”
Green Mountain Power has brought in crews from surrounding states and Canada to help in the restoration effort. It has more than 360 lineworkers, 220 tree trimmers and virtually all other GMP employees working as hard as possible to restore power quickly and ensure public safety from downed power lines.
“We are especially focused on the safety implications of this multi-day event,” said Schnure. “Outages that last for multiple days and impact home heating are especially concerning. We are working hard to get the lights back on and in the meantime, if Vermonters are unable to stay warm in their homes, we encourage them to seek shelter with neighbors or family. In addition, we urge Vermonters to check in on their elderly neighbors during this time.”
Customers are advised if they need shelter to stay safe and warm, they should contact their town officials, or if they are unable reach someone, they should call the Red Cross. 211 will have information on shelters though none have been established at this time.
GMP will continue to keep customers updated through Facebook, Twitter and media announcements.Customers may sign up for text service to report outages and get updates, simply text REG to 46788 or GMPVT, or sign up online atgreenmountainpower.com/textalerts. As always, customers may report outages by calling1-888-835-4672, or visiting GMP’s Outage Center page atwww.greenmountainpower.com.