Update as of 12 p.m. Oct. 30:
Connecticut's power outage numbers from this nor'easter have surpassed those of the previous record holders: Hurricane Gloria and Tropical Storm Irene.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says there are now about 750,000 homeowners and businesses without power. And, according to the Associated Press, there's about 3 million customers without power on the East Coast.
Connecticut Light & Power, the state's largest utility provider, is reporting that it could be a week or more before some customers see their lights turned back on. In a Tweet, CL&P wrote:
Unprecedented damage from this storm. Please prepare for worst case scenario - a week or more without power. Call 211 for shelter info.
To report outages to CL&P call 800-286-2000 or 860-947-2000, or visit its website.
CL&P's outage map is mostly black, particularly in north central Connecticut, which means between 80 and 100 percent of customers are without power there. Coastal Connecticut and the eastern part of the state have fared better, with limited outages in comparison.
As for the United Illuminating Company, it's reporting that 5% of its customers are without power. On its Twitter account, @UnitedIllum, it wrote:
Jim Torgerson - CEO - Giving the current conditions, UI expects to have virtually all customers restored by Monday night - Oct. 31st.
To report an outage, call 800-722-5584 or visit UI's website.
Many towns affected by the outages, including Cheshire where 92 percent are without power, have opened emergency shelters.
The original story follows:
As night sets in during this first nor'easter of the winter, thousands of residents and businesses will not be able to turn their lights on tonight.
As expected, heavy snow and strong winds have led to downed limbs and power lines throughout Connecticut. Both Connecticut Light & Power and the United Illuminating Company are reporting outages in nearly every community.
Cheshire is among the hardest hit, with 6,131 without power. Shelton, Hamden, Bethany and North Haven also have outages in the thousands.
Here's a list of nearby UI towns and outage numbers (as of 5:45 p.m.):
- Stratford -- 84
- Milford -- 279
- Orange -- 187
- Woodbridge -- 4
- Hamden -- 2,261
- East Haven -- 88
- North Haven -- 557
- New Haven -- 1,381
- West Haven 14
- Shelton -- 4,184
- Bridgeport -- 1,359
And here's what CL&P's reporting:
- Bethany -- 2,076
- Branford -- 591
- Clinton -- 1,157
- Cheshire -- 6,131
As a result of the extent of damage by the storm, CL&P has opened its Emergency Operations Center in Berlin.
Over 200 CL&P line and tree crews are working to restore power to customers affected by outages and the company is in the process of securing additional help. "As was predicted, the heavy, wet snow is weighing down the trees and creating issues across the state," said Al Roy, CL&P's manager of Emergency Management. "Our crews and support staff continue to respond as the storm moves through and we are communicating with town and state officials to coordinate efforts."
CL&P will be assessing storm damage as soon as it is safe to do so, the utility said. An estimate as to when power will be restored will be available once the assessment is complete.
In the meantime, CL&P is reminding customers to:
- Stay away from all downed wires. Assume any downed, hanging or burning power lines are live and dangerous and 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.
- Report your power outage by calling CL&P at 800-286-2000. Our automated phone system rapidly processes your report and helps us speed restoration efforts. It also provides restoration estimates as soon as they’re available.
- Before operating a generator, 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 line workers. Always operate generators outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide hazards.
- If you lose power, turn off your circuit breakers. This will help reduce the possibility of damage to sensitive electronic equipment once power is restored.
For helpful tips and updates, visit cl-p.com, follow the utility on Twitter @CTLightandPower and at Facebook.com/CTLightandPower. CL&P customers can also get updates on outages in your town by texting “outage” and your zip code to 24612 (texting fees may apply).
UI customers can report outages online and by calling 1-800-7CALLUI or 203-499-3333.
