Heavy, wet snowfall and high winds produced by a hard-hitting April Fools Day nor’easter combined to produce widespread power outages in Lincoln County on Friday, according to the Central Maine Power Co. (CMP).
The only two Lincoln County towns not affected by power outages at the time of this posting are Somerville and Alna, according to CMP.
For the first time, CMP is issuing updates to the public via the social media website Twitter. People can follow CMP by going to http://www.twitter.com/@cmpco.
The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA) reported during the height of the storm Monday morning that Boothbay, Bristol and South Bristol were the hardest hit towns and that 1082 customers were without power throughout Lincoln County. That number had climbed to 1209 according to a noon report from CMP.
“While we do considerable tree trimming throughout the year to improve reliability, storms like this with heavy, wet snow and high winds can still be a challenge,” said CMP spokesman John Carroll. “Our first priority right now is to make sure downed wires are grounded, de-energized, and made safe while we assess the damage. We will not be able to provide a reliable projection for restoration until that damage assessment is more complete.”
In some areas, entire trees have been uprooted from the soft ground and have fallen onto power lines. There are also many reports of limbs and branches loaded with snow coming into contact with lines. Treacherous road conditions have also slowed progress for storm damage assessment and repair.
CMP is bringing in additional line and tree contractors to help local crews fix the damage.
The company urges customers to use caution if they see downed lines.
“Everyone should stay clear of any downed power lines and trees or limbs that may be tangled in the lines,” said Carroll. “These should all be considered live and dangerous. Customers should leave the clean-up to our crews, who are trained and equipped to handle these situations safely.”
CMP also reminds drivers to use caution when approaching utility crews in the roadway. The working conditions are difficult, and they will appreciate everyone’s consideration for their safety.
If outages occur, customers should call the toll-free outage hotline: 1-800-696-1000. Additional information on storm safety can be found on CMP’s web site at http://www3.cmpco.com/outage/.
