When Will Power Be Restored In Wilton?

WILTON, CT — As of 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, there were 5,450 without power in Wilton, a slight drop from last night, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice reported.

Power utility Eversource has been tight-lipped about restoration times, Vanderslice said, but has pledged to have that information available Thursday night.

Eversource had around 528,000 customers without power Thursday, two days after the storm hit; so far it has restored power to 332,000 customers. Eversource should have had 1,500 to 2,500 line crews to respond to the storm, said Marissa Gillett, chairwoman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Eversource has provided staging areas at Danbury Welcome Center, Eversource’s Waterbury Area Work Center and Lake Compounce in Bristol to receive outside crews and expedite delivery of equipment to locations where repairs are being made. Additional crews arrived Wednesday from Canada, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to assist with restoration efforts. More crews will be arriving throughout Thursday.

Vandserslice provided the following updates:

Tree Removal/Road Clearing:

• DPW and Parks and Grounds personnel continue to clear roads and areas with downed trees and debris.
• As of 8 a.m. Thursday, municipal employees have identified 390 broken poles, ,600 downed spans of electrical wire, 1,829 trees to be removed, 605 blocked roads, and 142 damaged transformers.
• Eversource contracted crews from Canada are again in town clearing wires and trees for when power can be restored. They are not authorized by Eversource to address the landlocked roads.
• Town personnel cannot cut trees that contain wires, as wires could become electrified. Eversource personnel have access to and coordinate with Eversource transmission personnel to ensure the wires aren’t electrified while the work is being performed. That option isn’t available for municipalities.

WiFi Access and Charging Stations:

• Town Hall: A WiFi hotspot is now available on the back (vestibule) side of Town Hall, and accessible from the parking areas. If you do leave your car to access the hot spot, please maintain social distance. The name is Towguest. The password is Warrior1.
• Wilton High School: WiFi is accessible in the parking lot between the Field House and Lilly Field. Password is Warrior 1. Please maintain social distance.
• Comstock: Beginning tonight, residents can sign-up for 2-hour access inside Comstock for WiFi use and electronics charging:
  1. Weeknights open from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  2. Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  3. Sign-up via Other Information:
     • Water is available at the Fire Station. Please bring a container and call ahead or knock on the back door on the Town Hall side of the building. Oxygen is not available.
     • As of Friday, the Transfer Station returns to regular hours for residents only. No haulers.