BERLIN, Conn. (October 31, 2012) – A massive around-the-clock restoration effort is under way at Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), with 5,000 workers responding to damage from Hurricane Sandy.
“We’ve made significant progress working closely with the state and municipalities to clear blocked roads and remove electrical hazards,” said Bill Quinlan, CL&P Senior Vice President of Emergency Preparedness. “Today, we’re focused on completing damage assessment, using patrollers on the ground and in helicopters, so that we can provide a system-wide restoration projection tomorrow.”
While groups of employees work to complete damage assessment, line workers continue responding to emergencies and restoring power to town-identified critical customers, such as water treatment plants, police and fire stations and shelter locations.
CL&P’s restoration process begins with substations and critical customers, and then the company makes repairs based on restoring power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest possible time. So far, over 350,000 customers have been restored.
A video overview of how CL&P restores power, and more information about the process, is available at www.cl-p.com/StormCenter/Restoration_Process.
SAFETY FIRST
With many children headed out to trick-or-treat for Halloween tonight, safety remains the top priority. CL&P urges the public to be on the watch for storm debris and downed lines, especially lines that may be unseen and obscured by fallen limbs, while trick-or-treating. Customers should never touch a downed wire, and assume any downed line is live and dangerous.
Also, any customer using a generator should make sure it has been installed properly for their own safety, and the safety of line workers working to restore power. For important generator safety tips, check out CL&P’s “Using a Generator Safely” video on YouTube at http://youtu.be/IMD1pZc3EHM.
OUTAGE REPORTING
To report a power outage, call CL&P at 800-286-2000 or use the “Report an Outage” link at www.cl-p.com. For tips and updates from CL&P, follow us on Twitter @CTLightandPower and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ctlightandpower.