CT Power Outages Persist Into Monday

Power outages continue to persist in Connecticut after icy power lines and tree branches wreaked havoc with the electric system across the state. There were about 11,000 power outages as of 3 p.m. Monday as temperatures hit the single digits.

There are about 4,350 United Illuminating customers without power. Of that around 2,000 outages are in Hamden. For Eversource there were around 6,500 outages.

Downed trees and power lines were to blame for the outages. An Eversource worker was killed by a falling tree Sunday afternoon.

UI expected to restore power to nearly all customers by midnight. As of Monday afternoon they had restored power to 23,000 customers and addressed hundreds of downed wires and other safety issues. About half of outages still affecting customers Monday morning occurred after 5 p.m. Sunday.

UI had about 400 restoration workers working Monday.

See also: Falling Tree Kills Eversource Worker In CT: Police

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Most school systems were spared having to decide whether to delay or cancel due to the holiday.

Eversource said tree and line crews, assisted by thousands of support personnel, are "working non-stop to repair destruction caused by the storm that swept through the state today." The freezing rain, sleet and ice led to extensive damage throughout the southwestern and central regions of Connecticut.

Eversource employees and contractors have restored power to more than 22,000 customers since the storm began and are "committed to working around the clock to safely complete the restoration effort."

“We haven’t seen an ice storm like this in Connecticut in many years. The ice buildup on electric lines and tree branches can be devastating to the electric system, with tree limbs falling onto power lines, which we expect will continue through the night as the winds pick up,” said Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations Mike Hayhurst, in a prepared statement. “The ice is also causing treacherous driving and working conditions. We have a large contingent of our crews working in the communities hit hardest by this storm. We strive to always be there for our customers when they need us, and we are focused on safely restoring service to all of those affected.”

The energy company urges customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. They can report an outage online at www.eversource.com,or by calling 800-286-2000. Those who signed up for the company’s two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen.

Eversource also reminds any customers who are without power and using a generator to be sure it’s located well away from their home or business and that they’re using a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. Natural gas customers are asked to clear snow and ice from gas meters and equipment.

Below is a list of outages by town for Eversource and UI.

Eversource

UI