AUGUSTA, Maine, November 3, 2014 — Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, continues work to repair damage from a winter storm that passed through Maine on Sunday and Monday. Customer outages from the storm reached a peak of 84,000 shortly before 8 a.m. Monday. In the mid-coast region of Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties, the storm knocked out power to nearly 80 percent of the homes and business served by the utility.

“Our outage count reached a peak at about eight o’clock this morning, and hazardous travel conditions made for a difficult first day of the restoration,” said CMP spokesperson Gail Rice. “Our crews restored service to more than 25,000 customers since this morning, and we completed our damage assessment of major roadside lines and transmission corridors today despite the difficulties,” said Rice.

CMP expects to restore power to 90 percent of those customers affected by the storm by Wednesday evening. The utility is still assessing the damage in rural parts of the hardest hit counties of Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, or Waldo before projecting when the restoration will be complete for the remaining customers.

CMP began the day with approximately 100 two-man line crews, who were joined by an additional 50 crews from Canada, Maine, and other New England states during the course of the day. Fifty more line crews arrived this evening to join the restoration effort. In addition to the line crews, the storm response team includes 110 tree crews, supervisory and safety personnel, mechanics, and other support and administrative personnel.

CMP has established mobile command and supply centers in Wiscasset, Union, and Bucksport to aid in storm recovery, and the company is re-assigning its crews into areas with the worst damage as they complete the restoration in other parts of the state.

Utility officials are also sensitive to the timing of the storm response with tomorrow’s elections, and have been in communication with the Maine Secretary of State and municipal officials. In a statement issued earlier today, Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn noted that municipal officials are working to make sure that polling locations are up and functional tomorrow, and any adjustments that need to be made will be publicized as broadly as possible. Secretary of State Matt Dunlap advises voters to check with their town or city clerk to see if their polling places are open.

 Outages by county as of 9:30 p.m. Monday:

The company also urges customers to use caution if they see downed lines. 
 
“Everyone should stay clear of any downed power lines or fallen trees that may be tangled in the lines,” says Rice. “All downed lines should 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. The working conditions are difficult, and the workers appreciate everyone’s consideration for their safety. 
 
Additional information on storm safety and restoration, including a town-by-town listing of outages in the CMP service area with an area map, can be found on CMP’s web site at www.cmpco.com.