Overnight Storms Ravage CT; 46,000 Still Without Power

CONNECTICUT — About 46,000 Connecticut residents remained without power Friday afternoon and it appeared it may take at least a couple of days for power to be restored to everyone. At one point, about 100,000 residents were without power early Friday morning as wind gusts approached 60 mph.

The power outages caused several schools to close and have delayed openings. It also led to major interruptions in train service and numerous road closures due to downed trees and power lines.

As of 2:30 p.m., Eversource reported nearly 44,000 outages, which is 3.44 percent of its customer base in Connecticut. United Illuminating is reporting around 2,500 outages.

Eversource officials said line and tree crews are working non-stop to restore power to customers in Connecticut. Since last night, power has been restored to more than 76,000 customers and utility crews from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky are arriving to assist in the restoration efforts.

"Some of these winds were reported to be over 60 miles per hour, bringing down trees and tree limbs onto the power lines and causing outages," said Eversource Vice President of Connecticut Electric Operations Don Boudreau. "Despite these challenging conditions, our crews are there for our customers when they’re needed most and are committed to working 24/7 until everyone has their power."

Eversource reminds customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 911. They can report an outage online at www.eversource.com, or by calling 800-286-2000. Customers are encouraged to download the Eversource mobile app where they can also report outages or check for updates.

UI and partner crews have fanned out across UI’s service territory and are working to restore service safely and methodically, officials said in a news release. The company expects outages that occurred overnight to be substantially restored by the end of the day. Restoration of new outages that occurred since Friday morning should be substantially complete by midday Saturday.

UI follows a restoration process that prioritizes public safety. After addressing public safety concerns, crews first work to fix damage to critical electrical infrastructure, as well as outages that affect large numbers of customers. As these are restored, the focus shifts to smaller outages and individual customers.

Customers are advised to stay far away from downed utility lines, which can be dangerous even if they don’t appear energized. Never drive over a downed wire. Report them to UI at uinet.com or call 800.722.5584 (800.7.CALL.UI). If there is an immediate danger, call 911.

Eversource outages

A Freeze Watch is also in effect for late tonight as temps will drop below the freezing mark.

The National Weather Service says cooler air will work in behind a cold front the moved through last night, allowing for below normal highs today. Highs will range from the upper 40s to middle 50s.

"Light winds and clear skies will allow for temperatures to drop to below freezing for portions of the area tonight.... High pressure will remain the dominant weather feature through the weekend with clear and dry conditions and continued below normal temperatures," the weather service states.

And here's a look at the forecast for today and the weekend:

Today
A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a temperature falling to around 49 by 11am. West wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph.

Tonight
Areas of frost after 5am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 30. West wind 3 to 8 mph.

Saturday
Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 52. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 53. West wind 7 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 31.