GMP restores power to almost 29,000 customers

A massive effort to restore power to Green Mountain Power customers after Sunday’s damaging storm is expected to conclude later today. Since noon on Sunday, June 2, GMP has restored power to 28,673 customers.
At 11:00 am today there were still 210 customers without power. These customers, mainly in the Danville area, are expected to be back in service later today.
‘As of this morning every line that is off we are concentrating crews to get it back in service,’reported Glen Ghostlaw, operation supervisor for GMP’s Montpelier and St. Johnsbury service areas. ‘We expect to have the work done by supper time.’
GMP line crews reported that huge trees were blown down blocking roads that they had to chainsaw their way through in order get to where downed wires and broken utility poles were located. In one case, in the Danville area, it took three hours just to clear trees from 2,000 feet of road before restoration work could begin.
More than 500 GMP employees and contractors worked over the past 42 hours to repair damage caused by high winds and heavy rains. Fallen trees and branches, broken utility poles and downed electric wires had to be repaired, or removed and replaced before service could be restored. This storm is comparable to the fierce wind storm that blew through Vermont just before Christmas in 2012 where 28,000 customers lost electric service.
Monday evening’s efforts focused on restoration work in St. Johnsbury, Danville and Marshfield, which experienced the most devastating damage as a result of heavy rain, wind and thunderstorms that sweep across Central Vermont and into the Northeast Kingdom.
‘Until you see it first hand, it is hard to imagine the incredible power of wind and heavy rain and the damage it can do to trees and utility poles,’said Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power. Powell spent time with crews in Marshfield and Danville on Monday afternoon. ‘I am constantly impressed by the remarkable skill and hard work of the men and women who tirelessly deal with this kind of destruction, so our customers’lives can return to normal.’
GMP brought in line crews from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and New York State to help GMP staff remove trees from power lines, replace broken utility poles, and rebuild damaged electric lines to restore power.
GMP began preparations for the storm last week when it saw the potential for damaging storms to ensure a fast response once the storm hit. More than 28,883 customers were affected by the heavy winds that knocked down trees and power lines across the state.
Safety is of utmost importance to GMP in a storm, as there are many instances of power lines knocked down. You can’t tell by looking at a power line whether it is energized, and touching it can cause serious injuries or death. When you see a line down, call GMP and always keep children and pets well away from the line.
Customers may report outages by calling 1-888-835-4672, visiting GMP’s Outage Center page at www.greenmountainpower.com or mobile enhanced at m.greenmountainpower.com, or by clicking the ‘Power Out?’button on GMP’s Facebook site.