CL&P: 25 Customers Away From Full Power Restoration [Update]

Update 9:00am (Monday)

And then there were 25. CL&P reports that power has been restored to nearly all of its 27,898 customers in Greenwich. Crews are working on Labor Day in hopes of restoring power to the 25 customers in town who have been without it since Hurricane Irene hit a week ago Saturday.

Update 1:30pm (Sunday)

CL&P is close to returning all 27,000 of its customers in Greenwich to power restoration. Since Saturday afternoon, the number of residents without electricity has dropped from 998 to 166. That number represents less than 1% of CL&P customers in the city who are without power.

Update 4:30pm (Saturday)

First Selectman Peter Tesei reports that the number of CL&P customers in Greenwich without power has dropped from 2,358 to 998. He stated that the utility company has 36 crews on the ground and there are another 15 working on tree removal.

CL&P expects to have power restoration for 99% of its customers by 11:30pm on Saturday night and 100% by 11pm on Tuesday, September 6th.

Update 9:30 a.m. (Saturday)

CL&P's latest update places the total number of customers in Greenwich without power at 1,190.

A reminder that 's main branch will remain open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The and Libraries will not be open.

Also, Old Greenwich's has decided to open the Library this from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

All libraries will be closed Sunday and Monday.

This reminder on the Greenwich Public Schools website from Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roger J. Lulow and Board of Education Chairman Steven B. Anderson

Due to the inaccessibility of roads for bus transportation to school and concern with safe passage for walkers to school and to bus stops due to downed wires and debris that still remain after the hurricane,
all schools will be closed on Thursday September 1st, and Friday, September 2nd for teachers and students.

All student activities planned for Thursday and Friday are canceled with the exception of Greenwich High School athletic practices, since the athletic practices do not require bus transportation.

School will be open on Tuesday, September 6th for sixth and ninth grade orientation. Greenwich High School and Western Middle School will also hold orientations for students new to the school district on Tuesday (9/6). School will be open for all students on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.

The Board of Education Work Session planned for September 1, 2011 will proceed as scheduled.

Please continue to check the web site and all other forms of communication at your disposal for further updates.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation through this extraordinary week.

Update 4:30 p.m. (Friday)

There were 2,358 CL&P customers — or 8 percent of all customers — in the Town of Greenwich without power as of 1 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 2, according to a statement from town officials.

That's down from 4,865 outages in town as of 2 p.m. yesterday, the town said.

Meanwhile the 22 power crews and 15 tree crews designated by CL&P to serve Greenwich are racing to meet an 11:30 p.m. Saturday deadline for 99.9 percent power restoration.

Most roads in town are now clear of trees, however there are a few road and/or lane closures lingering:

Blocked or Partially Blocked Roads as of 1 p.m. Friday:

View Street

Field Road

Sunset Road

Lake Ave. (upper)

Husted Lane

Dublin Hill

Park Ave. (downtown)

Lang Horn Lane

Butler Street

Walwyn Road

Update 11:45 a.m. (Friday)

There are now 2,721 CL&P customers in Greenwich without power—or 9 percent of the total customer base.

Greenwich State Rep. Fred Camillo has an interesting blog post on Patch about , and an active discussion has popped up there. Join the conversation!

A reminder: will be open for extended hours:

• Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Original Story

Town officials announced there were 4,865 CL&P customers in Greenwich – or about 17 percent of the town — still without power as of 1 p.m. Thursday, as a result of downed trees and power lines from Tropical Storm Irene, which passed through town on Sunday, Aug. 28.

The clock is ticking for line and tree crews working for CL&P, as they scramble to meet a promise from the utility that 99.9 percent of power would be restored to Greenwich by 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile it is unclear whether the utility’s plan to shift more crews to other towns in the eastern part of the state would have any impact on crews in Greenwich.

First Selectman Peter Tesei reportedly convened a meeting of the town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) today to review the status of the restoration effort and to discuss the plan for the next 12 hours.

In addition to the 19 line crews and 15 tree crews currently working 16-hour shifts in town  to restore power, the has deployed crews to remove trees that block roads or partially obstruct traffic or pedestrian movement during the day.

“The Town has consistently followed a priority list that addressed life/safety issues as the most important area of concern,” town officials said in a release today. “Other priorities include road closures, safe routing for traffic and pedestrians, and the resumption of electric service for the largest number of residents. As of this afternoon only one road remains completely blocked and 18 roads are partially blocked.”

Residents who want to complain about a lack of response from CL&P should contact the Public Utility Regulatory Agency (PURA) of the State of Connecticut at 800-382-4586 or online at http://www.ct.gov/dupc/cwp/viw.asp?a=3352&q=404030.

The town is also cautioning residents who are using portable generators to make sure they are only using them outdoors — and not in garages or under overhangs.

“The EOC receives daily reports of citizens who are utilizing generators for electric purposes or are operating their personal vehicles to charge electronic devices in such a fashion that carbon monoxide gas is entering their living quarters,” town officials said. “Please operate all such equipment in a well ventilated area and exercise extreme caution that you do not poison yourself and your family.”

For those residents still without power, the Greenwich Main Library will be open for extended hours on Friday, September 2, from 9:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 3, from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.

School will be open on Tuesday, September 6 for sixth and ninth grade orientation. Greenwich High School and Western Middle School will also hold orientation for students new to the District on that same day.

School will be open for all students on Wednesday, September 7.  Parents are advised to monitor the Board of Education website for up-to-the-moment school news at www.greenwichschools.org.

Residents are being urged to refrain from placing yard waste and storm debris along the sides of the roads. The Public Works Department will not be removing storm debris from private property.

The Holly Hill Transfer Station will continue to remain open through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. to permit homeowners and their contractors to dispose of yard waste that has been created by the storm.

Below is a list of blocked or partially blocked roads as of 1 p.m. today:

Highview Avenue — Needs Attention; Trees and wires down

Perkins Road — Needs attention, road is blocked

View Street — Blocked roadway, Needs attention

Cognewaugh Road — Pole leaning @ Sundance

Byram Shore Road — Needs work, Verizon crews replacing pole

Husted Lane — Blocked roadway, needs attention

Watchtower Lane — Low wires, cars only traffic

Londonderry Drive — Passable; pole leaning

Burning Tree Road — Passable; Cable / Telephone wires down

Dunwoodie Place — Passable; Trees cleared

Fox Run Lane — Trees removed, Repairs to wires needed

Maher Ave. — Passable; service line hanging low, cars only

Richmond Hill Road — Low wires, cars only

Lang Horn lane — Crews clearing the roadway

Willow Run Road — Trees cleared, Low hanging wires

Wyngate Roads — Trees cleared, Low hanging wires

Marshall Street — Service line across roadway