Power Restoration Progress On Thursday

Emera Maine and Central Maine Power both had crews working overnight and report progress is steady.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that the devastation from this storm has been challenging to fix. Unlike a hurricane or tornado, where the damage is usually centered in one or two communities, this week's windstorm has had devastating effects on the power grid for the majority of the state. Broken poles, downed trees, and tangled lines are making the job of getting the power back on challenging.

As of 5:14 this morning, Emera Maine reported that 25,500 customers are still without power. Officials say 90% of customers will have power restored by 10 p.m. on Friday, with nearly everyone restored by Saturday. Exceptions to this would be residences in extreme remote areas or with mile-long dirt driveways. At peak, 90,000 Emera Maine customers lost power after Wind Storm '17.

Central Maine Power updated their outage information just before 6:00 this morning, stating that 73,154 customers are still without power. Midday Monday, CMP had a peak total of 404,000 customers who had lost their electricity. Crews from multiple states are helping both power companies restore power, working around the clock.

Once again, company officials are urging Mainers not to stop and talk to the utility crews. They are bound by law to stop working when civilians are nearby, so it slows their progress, which means it will take longer to get the power turned back on. To stay updated on outage information, log onto the websites for Emera Maine and Central Maine Power.