CL&P Securing Extra Line, Tree Crews For Irene

CL&P says it is ready for Hurricane Irene, which is expected to hit Connecticut on Sunday. Should the storm strike with the force predicted, the electric company is bound to have its work cut out for it in Greenwich, with its abundance of trees lining nearly every road.

“We plan for the worst and hope for the best," said Jeff Butler, president and chief operating officer, CL&P, in a release. "CL&P has a comprehensive plan to respond to Hurricane Irene-caused problems in Connecticut. We are canceling vacations and putting all of our people on stand-by.”

What’s more, Butler said CL&P’s parent company, Northeast Utilities is enlisting “additional line crews and tree crews to expedite restoration.”

“We’re also in close contact with town, state and emergency management officials to make sure all of our efforts are in sync,” he said.

However, Butler said, “CL&P customers should prepare for potential power outages that could last a week or more in some areas."

As such, CL&P is advising that families and individuals who rely on medical equipment requiring electricity have a backup plan, such as “an alternate source of electric power such as a battery backup system, an uninterruptible power supply or a properly installed generator for the life support equipment.”

The fact that CL&P will have additional crews at the ready might be of some relief to those Greenwich residents who were without power for up to a week following the that took down trees and power lines all over town. Many residents complained that CL&P’s response to the storm was too slow — an accusation also made by state officials who prompted an investigation into why CL&P didn’t respond more quickly. That storm — which also hit on a weekend — was predicted to pack winds of up to 40 miles and hour, but caught many by surprise when gusts reached as high as 60 miles an hour.