Outage Map: Central Maine Power, Versant working on restoration - WMTW Portland

Outage Map: Central Maine Power, Versant working on restoration

Outage Map: Central Maine Power calls restoration 'multi-day' event

Updated: 6:01 PM EDT Sep 16, 2023

GOOD WINDOW TO CLEAN UP. WE ARE SEEING SOME STORM DAMAGE REPORTS COMING INTO OUR NEWSROOM, AT LEAST CONTINUING TO PRODUCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS, MEANING REALLY THE BIG STORY COMING OUT OF TODAY IS THE LIKELIHOOD AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DOWNED TREES, DOWNED POWER LINES. LET’S TAKE A LOOK RIGHT NOW AT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF OUTAGES. MORE THAN 30,000 HOUSEHOLDS ARE WITHOUT POWER. AND WE ARE TALKING TO JOHN BREED, WHO IS JOINING US LIVE BY PHONE FROM CENTRAL MAINE POWER. JOHN, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE WITH US. CAN YOU HEAR US? I CAN. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOHN, FOR FOR JOINING US. WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 500 EXTRA CREWS WERE WERE CALLED IN TO SUPPORT RESTORATION EFFORTS. NOT MUCH THE CREWS CAN DO DURING THE STORM ITSELF. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT WHERE THOSE CREWS ARE STATION TODAY AND WHAT THEY’RE SEEING IN TERMS OF CONDITIONS? SURE. SO WITH THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE LEE EXPECTING TO PICK UP THROUGH THE DAY TODAY, WE’RE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO OUTAGES CAUSED BY HIGH WINDS ASSOCIATED TREE DAMAGE AND COASTAL FLOODING, FINAL STEPS OF STORM PREPARATION TOOK PLACE EARLY THIS MORNING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF ADDITIONAL CREWS TO SUPPORT RESTORATIONS HERE IF NEEDED. LIKE YOU SAID, ABOUT 4 TO 500 CREWS HAVE JOINED OUR TEAMS AND WE HAVE GEOGRAPHICALLY PRE-STAGED THEM ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA BASED ON THE FORECAST. WE DO EXPECT STRONGEST WINDS TO BE ALONG THE COAST TODAY, THOUGH, WE. HAVE SEEN RAIN BANDS EXTEND FURTHER INLAND ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CANADIAN BORDER. SO REALLY A STORM EVENT THAT WILL IMPACT OUR ENTIRE SERVICE AREA. AS ALWAYS, THE SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND CREWS IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND WE’RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH STATE OFFICIALS, OUR METEOROLOGISTS, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE BEST INFORMATION REGARDING THE WIND AND THE STORM’S TRACK TODAY SO THAT IF POWER OUTAGES DO OCCUR, WE CAN RESTORE POWER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AND, JOHN, THAT BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION, TALKING ABOUT RESTORING POWER FOR THE THOUSANDS THAT HAVE LOST POWER SO FAR THIS MORNING. DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON WHEN THE POWER WILL BE BACK ON OR HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE YOUR CREWS TO BE ABLE TO GO UP AND SAFELY FIX THOSE LINES? SO YOU KNOW, DURING A STORM EVENT LIKE THIS, WE DO HAVE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT WE CAN DO DUE TO SAFETY. SO WE ARE UNABLE TO PUT CREWS IN BUCKET TRUCKS IF THE WINDS ARE GREATER THAN 35MPH. SO SOMETIMES THAT WILL IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO RESTORE CUSTOMERS. BUT THAT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WORK. ISN’T BEING DONE. WE’LL HAVE TREE CREWS OUT HELPING LOCAL EMAS CLEAR ROADS, CLEAR DEBRIS. OUR CREWS WILL ALSO BE WORKING ON THE GROUNDS TO MAKE LINES SAFE. AS YOU KNOW, IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS, MARDENS FALLEN TREES CAN BRING DOWN LINES. WE WANT TO REMIND CUSTOMERS THAT IF YOU SEE A LINE, A DOWNED LINE, STAY AWAY. IT COULD BE ENERGIZED. CONTACT US. YOU CAN TALK. CONTACT US BY PHONE THROUGH THE MOBILE APP OR BY VISITING OUR OUTAGE CENTER ONLINE. BUT REMEMBER, NO LINE IS SAFE TO TOUCH. SO IF THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A RAINY SUMMER, JOHN, WE KNOW THAT THE GROUND IS REALLY SATURATED AND THAT CAN MAKE TELEPHONE POLES, POWER LINES REALLY PRONE TO BEING TAKEN OUT IF THE WIND SPEEDS ARE THERE. AND WE KNOW THEY ARE, ESPECIALLY AS WE’RE LOOKING AT THIS CAMERA HERE FROM OUR LIVE SHOT IN PORTLAND, WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AS WE SEE THE REST OF THE STORM PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN TERMS OF POWER OUTAGES? WELL, THE THE TREE HEALTH AND THE TREE STRESS FROM THE INCREDIBLY WET SUMMER WE’VE HAD HAS BEEN THE X FACTOR THROUGH THIS ENTIRE STORM EVENT. I THINK I SAW A STATISTIC THAT SAID THIS WAS THE SEVENTH WETTEST SUMMER IN IN MAINE’S HISTORY. THAT’S LED TO THE SOIL EROSION THAT’S LED TO NUTRIENT RUNOFF. AND IT’S BASICALLY LED TO WEAKER TREES THAT COMBINED WITH WITH FULL FOLIAGE, DOES PRESENT A PROBLEM. NOW, WE SEE SIMILAR CONDITIONS LIKE THIS IN THE WINTER WHEN WE GET A STANDARD NOR’EASTER. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THE GROUND IS NOT FROZEN. WHEN THE GROUND IS FROZEN, THAT HELPS ANCHOR ROOTS AND THE TREES AREN’T BARE. THEY’RE FULL OF LEAVES. SO THOSE CONDITIONS JUST CREATE A BIT OF AN UNKNOWN IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ULTIMATE DAMAGE WILL BE. THAT’S WHY WE’RE WATCHING THE FORECAST SO CAREFULLY AND WHICH IS WHY WE’VE PLANNED AND PREPARED THE WAY WE HAVE. BECAUSE BECAUSE THE TREES REALLY COULD COULD TURN INTO

Outage Map: Central Maine Power calls restoration 'multi-day' event

Updated: 6:01 PM EDT Sep 16, 2023

Central Maine Power and Versant are both reporting power outages in the state following Lee's impacts.Maine's Total Coverage has created an interactive map for you to see which counties are currently being affected. Central Maine Power prepared for tropical storm impacts from Lee with the help of its parent company Avangrid.Avangrid brought in around 500 crews from out of state to respond to power outages. Crews began pre-staging on Friday.Versant Power said its working to restore power Saturday. Officials said they had to pull down crews from bucket trucks for a short period while winds were strongest. "We cannot emphasize enough that it is so important that if you have a tree on a powerline, that you call Versant Power." Judy Long with Versant Power said. "The last thing we want during one of these storms is to see someone lose their life trying to clear the way for traffic, or trying to get out of their driveway." Versant Power officials hope to have restoration resolved in the next 72 hours.For Central Maine Power, they call restoration a 'multi-day event.' Restoring power for CMP customers could take until Monday and extend to Tuesday.John Breed from CMP says: "Right now, we are making every effort to get power back on because we understand there are consequence beyond just sitting in the dark." If you experience a power outage, report it online on the CMP website. If wind speeds are above 35 mph, crews will have to wait to restore power.

MAINE —

Central Maine Power and Versant are both reporting power outages in the state following Lee's impacts.

Maine's Total Coverage has created an interactive map for you to see which counties are currently being affected.

Central Maine Power prepared for tropical storm impacts from Lee with the help of its parent company Avangrid.

Avangrid brought in around 500 crews from out of state to respond to power outages. Crews began pre-staging on Friday.

Versant Power said its working to restore power Saturday. Officials said they had to pull down crews from bucket trucks for a short period while winds were strongest.

"We cannot emphasize enough that it is so important that if you have a tree on a powerline, that you call Versant Power." Judy Long with Versant Power said. "The last thing we want during one of these storms is to see someone lose their life trying to clear the way for traffic, or trying to get out of their driveway."

Versant Power officials hope to have restoration resolved in the next 72 hours.

For Central Maine Power, they call restoration a 'multi-day event.' Restoring power for CMP customers could take until Monday and extend to Tuesday.

John Breed from CMP says: "Right now, we are making every effort to get power back on because we understand there are consequence beyond just sitting in the dark."

If you experience a power outage, report it online on the CMP website. If wind speeds are above 35 mph, crews will have to wait to restore power.