BERLIN, Conn. (November 3, 2012) – As power is restored to hundreds of thousands of Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) customers, utility resources from around the country continues to pour in to communities hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.
“Our crews remain intensely focused on the remaining damage and outages caused by Sandy,” said Bill Quinlan, CL&P Senior Vice President of Emergency Preparedness. “The destruction along Connecticut’s coastline and in Southwest towns is on par with the epic devastation in New York and New Jersey, requiring in some areas an entire rebuilding of our electric system.”
In total, CL&P estimates over 800 utility poles will be replaced and 78 miles of overhead electrical cable will be restrung – enough cable to stretch from Norwalk to New London. This massive restoration effort now includes more than 7,000 storm responders from across the country.
While hard work continues in the field, CL&P has also been updating its website to provide additional information to customers. The company launched a “Restoration Estimates” web page (www.cl-p.com/restorationtimes) to provide customers with restoration estimates for their area. As crews are dispatched to make specific repairs, the estimated restoration times for those repairs will be updated under the “My Outage Status” link online and at 800-286-2000.
SAFETY FIRST
Temperatures are dipping lower, and CL&P reminds customers to stay safe and never use a stove or grill as a heating source. Shelter information is available by calling 2-1-1 or visiting www.211ct.org.
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.