BERLIN, Conn. – July 18, 2012 – Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) crews continue making solid progress restoring power to customers affected by today's storms. Heavy rains, hundreds of lighting strikes and wind gusts of 68 miles per hour caused significant damage, leaving 35,000 customers without power at the peak this afternoon at 5 p.m. As of 7:30 p.m., the company has restored power to 22,000 customers.
"As the storms continue to pass through the state we're using all available resources and crews from our sister companies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are arriving to provide additional help," said CL&P Vice President of Operations Ken Bowes. "There are multiple reports of broken poles and downed wires and customers should expect some additional issues."
As crews are dispatched to make repairs at specific locations, a restoration estimate will be provided for that location. CL&P continues reaching out to all 149 communities it serves to determine if their Emergency Operations Centers are open and to provide a town liaison. Each of our 149 cities and towns is assigned a town liaison to ensure consistent communication and coordination with town officials.
CL&P continues to remind customers:
- Stay away from downed wires. Stay at least 10 feet away from all wires. Assume any downed, hanging or burning power lines are live and dangerous. Call 9-1-1 immediately. If a power line falls on your vehicle while you’re inside, stay there. Don’t touch anything outside the vehicle and wait for emergency crews.
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- Do you have a generator? Before operating it, make sure it has been properly installed by a licensed electrician. Improperly installed generators can feed electricity back into power lines and pose a deadly situation for our workers. Always operate generators outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide hazards.
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- To report power outages, CL&P customers should call 800-286-2000. Our automated phone system rapidly processes your report and helps us speed restoration efforts.
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- For helpful tips and news updates, go to our website at cl-p.com, follow us on Twitter @CTLightandPower and like us at Facebook.com/CTLightandPower. You can also get updates on outages in your town by texting “outage” and your zip code to 24612 (texting fees may apply).