Some Might Not See Power Restored Until Tomorrow

National Grid crews have been working around the clock since the severe storm that pummeled parts of the state this morning, but some customers might not see their power restored until “late tomorrow evening,” according to the electricty company.

The storm, which plucked 100-year-old trees from the ground like a child picking dandelions, darkened the homes of 121,,000 electricity customers at its peak as it blitzed a trail of destruction through Cranston, Warwick and portions of Coventry and Providence. Another pocket in southern Rhode Island sent trees atop campers in Burlingame State Park in Charlestown, injuring at least 10.

“Our first priority is to restore power to customers as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Timothy F. Horan, president of National Grid in Rhode Island. “We have 180 line crews and 60 tree crews out in the field in Rhode Island working to restore power. Since our peak outage this morning of 121,000 customers, we have brought back 26,000 customers and we expect to bring back more throughout the evening into tomorrow.”

That’s disconcerting news for those stuck in sweltering homes as high humidity and temperatures in the 90s. But National Grid officials said they’re doubling down on restoration efforts with a focus on the hardest hit areas.

“We know it’s very inconvenient for our customers when the power is out for an extended period of time. We’re doing all we can to get power back on, and appreciate our customers’ patience,” Horan said.

The storm brought straight line winds with gusts of more than 70 mph, though the National Weather Service said there was no evidence that a tornado had touched down, nor was the widespread damage caused by a microburst.

The power grid was dealt a multi-pronged blow of high winds, lightning and torrential rains.

Several transmission lines were damaged in the storm, which Horan said are the “energy highways” of the electric system.

In Cranston, Mayor Allan W. Fung said that city crews are “all hands on deck” in an effort to continue the cleaning out process.

He said our Public Works department will be working non-stop to clear roads of fallen trees and limbs. Furthermore, I urge residents to exercise caution if they have been affected by damage from the storm. Treat downed wires as though they were live wires, stay clear of fallen trees and don’t go out if you don’t have to until your area is cleared.”