Less Than 750 Emera Customers Still Without Power [UPDATE]
The final push is on to restore power to the entire state, as Emera Maine reports less than 750 customers are still without electricity.
Several crews from Tampa, Florida have arrived in Maine to help with the massive effort that Emera Maine and Central Maine Power have been working on all week. At peak, nearly 500,000 Mainers had their electricity knocked out by wind gusts between 70 and 90 mph that topped trees and took down utility poles.
At 4 a.m., the Live Outage map on Emera Maine's website reported 2,138 customers are still without power. Crews continue to work into the night to clear trees and repair lines. A media release says that some of the remaining outages involve entire portions of lines that will have to be rebuilt, or homes with damage to their private equipment that will have to be repaired before the power can be restored. At this point, 95% of customers in Emera's territory once again have electricity.
Central Maine Power's outage information site reports 14,376 customers without power at 10:06 p.m. As with Emera Maine, CMP's efforts are being aided by teams from around the country and Canada who will be working into the night. Some customers may need more extensive repairs than can be done tonight.
Residents are reminded not to talk to crews as they work, despite the temptation to offer words of thanks. Line workers and tree crews are required by law to stop working when civilians are nearby, so those words of thanks will only impede the progress.
Utility officials also remind Mainers that it's never safe to touch a downed line, even if your power currently isn't running to your house. Some residents have wanted to help the restoration effort by clearing trees and brush that have wires running through the branches. But, as that old CMP commercial said, 'No line is safe to touch....EVAH!'