Vermont Business Magazine This storm has caused more outages from Green Mountain Power than either the ice storm of 1998 or Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. As of Monday morning, total customers without power across the state were down to about 2,500.“I’ve never seen anything like this.” That’s what GMP lineworkers are reporting from the frontlines of the winter storm, which beganTuesdaynight and ravaged nearly every corner of Vermont through Friday. Wet, heavy snow clings to branches and power lines, and with each passing hour and day the likelihood of a tree breaking and a resulting outage increases. As quickly as crews can make repairs, new outages continue to occur. Until temperatures increase and the sun shines to help melt the snow, this pattern will continue.
SEE LIST OF OUTAGES AND LINKS TO UTILITIES BELOW.
Crews from One Source Power in Boston fuel up to assist Vermont.
Chet Farrell, a long time chief lineworker at GMP said, “In my 23 years as a lineworker, I can’t remember such a tough snowstorm! We’ve got wires down everywhere and after several days of snow, trees are still coming down. But it is really great getting to be restoring power to our customers – I find that very satisfying.”
According to GMP the end of the storm is in sight, as 1000 lineworkers and tree trimmers concentrate in the areas impacted hardest by this unprecedented storm. Forecasters and lineworkers are calling this the worst storm they’ve seen in decades. It hitTuesdaynight and againThursdaycausing damage statewide impacting almost 134,000 customers. GMP crews have restored power to more than 132,200, making significant progress throughout the weekend and there are now fewer than 1500 without power.
“This has been an incredibly difficult week for our customers who have been without power for such an extended period of time. There is light at the end of the tunnel and our teams will not stop working until service has been restored to all of our valued customers,” said Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power spokesperson. “We are so grateful for the patience and support we have received all across Vermont. It means a lot to our crews.”
Crews will continue working through tonight and possibly intoMondayif needed to restore power to all.
Roger Hill, meteorologist of Weathering Heights Consulting and Radio Vermont said, “This is the wettest snowfall I have ever experienced since coming to Vermont in 1986. Normal nor’easters are typically powdery snow with a 20 to 1 snow to water ratio. Below 10 to 1 it starts to collect on lines and this storm is 5 to 1. I have never seen that combination in Vermont. There are 2 cubic inches landing on branches and power lines. This is more like an ice storm than a snow storm."
Green Mountain Power offered the following additional important safety tips:
·Never operate portable generators inside the home, garage or other enclosed buildings as they require adequate ventilation to prevent the buildup of carbon monoxide(CO).
·If you encounter a downed line, always stay clear of the line and report it to GMP right away. Emergency personnel should also be contacted.
·Shelters have been opened up in some of the hardest hit areas. To locate the shelter nearest you, call 211.
·Check in on neighbors as the storm enters its third day to ensure their safety and warmth.
As the storm restoration progresses, GMP will keep customers updated through Facebook, Twitter and media announcements. The multi-day nature of this storm is making restoration predictions particularly challenging especially while we are still experiencing more outages from downed trees. We appreciate the public’s understanding at this time. 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.
Washington Electric Co-op said Friday that it is continuing to experience widespread outages on its system due to the heavy wet snow and rain. Power restoration work is in progress but due to the number of downed wires, fallen trees, and impassable roads, restoration is slow and new outages continue to occur. We expect people to be without power for several days and people should plan to be out of power through the weekend and perhaps longer. Counties affected and served by WEC include Washington, Orange, Caledonia, and Orleans.
WEC urges people to plan for a long duration multi-day outage and take precautions to protect themselves during this storm. If people have need for shelter they should contact their local town officials or call the Red Cross (dial 211).
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WEC has all of its staff working and we are bringing in additional assistance from other utilities including crews from New Hampshire.
WEC staff are working tirelessly to get your power back on line as soon as possible. We know this has been a difficult storm for many WEC members given the length of time some have been out. Unfortunately new power outages occurred throughout the night with trees taking down power lines and making roads impassable.
It is possible for many outages to persist through the weekend or into early next week.
Governor Peter Shumlin joined Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) Chief Executive Officer Dave Hallquist Saturday on an aerial patrol to survey damage to utility poles and power lines caused by this week’s earlier snow storm. They were accompanied by VEC Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wright, Manager of Corporate Services Liz Gamache and Meteorologist Roger Hill.
Since Tuesday line crews have restored more than 26,000 power outages, yet about 1,800 VEC members are without power at the end of the dayon Saturday. Skies cleared earlier today and line workers made significant progress repairing damage caused by a storm that delivered heavy, wet snow that continues to bring down trees and power lines.
Most current outages are expected to be restored bySundayevening, but it is likely that some more difficult restorations will not take place untilMonday. Since the first outage occurredon Tuesdayevening, VEC line crews and support staff, along with contract line and tree crews, have been delivering round-the-clock restoration coverage, often working in conditions made difficult and hazardous.
There is also a risk for new outages depending upon weather conditions. If temperatures warm above the freezing mark, snow and ice will melt. While in the long-run this will help, as snow unloads from trees and power lines, this may cause additional outages. If additional snow falls before melting takes place, the added weight to already snow laden power lines and trees could also cause outages.
Repeat power outages have been a frustrating characteristic of this outage event. Line workers report that just as a line is repaired, it often goes back out as another tree falls on the line just fixed.
The hardest hit area in VEC’s service territory is the Champlain Valley from Starksboro north to Fairfax. At the time of this press release, power outages have been reported in the following towns: Albany, Bakersfield, Bolton, Brighton, Cambridge,Charleston, Craftsbury,Enosburg, Essex, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Georgia, Hinesburg, Huntington, Isle La Motte, Jericho, Montgomery, Morgan, Newport Town, Norton, Richford, Richmond, Shelburne, South Hero, St George, Swanton, Starksboro, Underhill, and Williston.
Estimated restoration times are being made available by VEC’s control center on the company website atwww.vermontelectric.coop/
VEC encourages members of the public to place safety first. Always avoid downed power lines and report them to VEC at1.800.832.2667.
People needing shelterare asked to dial 2-1-1 or the American Red Cross at802-660-9130to access information about shelters.
Sources: GMP, VEC, WEC. Photos courtesy of GMP's Facebook page.www.facebook.com/GreenMountainPower