Recent Power Outages In Monroe Under Investigation: Update

MONROE, CT — A fallen tree knocking down wires on Route 111 near Old Coach Road in Monroe was the main cause of the power outages that plagued several Eversource customers in town Tuesday, according to First Selectman Ken Kellogg.

"The tree limb making contact with power lines directly impacted the substation that serves the area, which caused power to be interrupted frequently until their crews could clear the tree," Kellogg wrote in a message to the town. "The loud noises heard near the substation was the equipment shutting down as designed to prevent further damage to the system."

As a result, Monroe is seeking further clarification from Eversource about the problems.

"Our liaison [at Eversource] has advised us that a component in the substation was not operating properly - an automatic switch that is designed to automatically switch power from one circuit to another as needed," Kellogg said. "There are multiple switches in a substation.

"Some Monroe residents experienced the on-off power issue when one automatic switch did not operate properly. Eversource is investigating the issue and has taken the problem switch offline in the meantime."

Strong winds and rain that began late Monday continued to sweep through Connecticut during the early morning hours on Tuesday, which led to outages in Monroe and other communities around the state.

Though a new storm moved in on Wednesday, no outages have been reported in Monroe as of 1 p.m.

Kellogg said that some residents have asked about potential damage to electrical equipment in their homes, as a result of the outages. In such instances, residents have to initiate a claim with Eversource.

"Please understand that to open and investigate a claim, Eversource must hear from their customers directly," Kellogg said. "We've been advised that all claims must start with a call to Eversource Customer Service at 800-286-2000."