Frustration grows as town officials seek answers from Eversource

MONROE, CT — Close to 82 percent of Monroe is still without power Thursday afternoon, and First Selectman Ken Kellogg is feeling frustration over trying to get answers from Eversource on the progress of the restoration effort after Tropical Storm Isaias caused massive power outages throughout the state on Tuesday.

He and State Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, R-Monroe, arranged for an afternoon phone call with a senior official from Eversource.

“I understand it’s a statewide issue, but we want to see some progress on the restoration and communications to our residents, so they can have an idea of when to expect their electricity to return,” Kellogg said Thursday.

The first selectman said Eversource crews are in town to assess damage and help clear roadways, adding this includes some line crews to restore power.

While some progress is being made, the frustration comes from “a lack of sustained progress” and communication from Eversource on what the overall picture looks like, according to Kellogg.

“We made it extremely clear that we want 110 and Route 34 completely cleared,” he said. “Police have been setting different traffic patterns, while trying to do the best they can.”

The first selectman will also participate in a phone call with Gov. Ned Lamont at 5 p.m. Once he gathers the information from the Eversource and governor’s calls, he will issue an update to Monroe residents later today.

Kellogg said Eversource is repairing one outage affecting over 1,000 Monroe customers, which it says should be fixed by 8 p.m. The best way to know if it includes your home is to register your outage and type in your address with your Eversource account or sign up for the company’s text alerts, he said.

Kellogg reminds residents that power may sometimes be turned off to safely make repairs.

A Monroe Planning and Zoning Commission meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled.

A statewide update

In a press release issued Thursday, Eversource said its line and tree crews are working around-the-clock to repair the widespread damage to the electric system caused by Tropical Storm Isaias.

Utility crews from Canada, Michigan and Massachusetts are assisting in the major restoration effort with additional outside crews arriving in the state over the next 24 hours, the energy company said.

Eversource is focused on clearing downed trees and branches in order to open up access to blocked roads. As of 11:30 a.m., crews have restored power to more than 332,000 customers since the storm began, while approximately 533,000 Eversource customers in Connecticut remain without power, according to the press release.

The company will provide an estimate of when it expects to have power restored to a majority of affected customers later today.

“We understand our customers’ frustration and know it is an especially challenging time to be without power given the ongoing pandemic and hot summer weather,” said Craig Hallstrom, president of regional electric operations at Eversource.

“Our entire Eversource team is dedicated to this effort and is working with an extreme sense of urgency to get all of our customers the power they need,” he said. “The impact from this storm and its widespread damage can’t be overstated. We’ve made good progress repairing incredible damage across our service territory. We have hundreds of crews spread out across the state addressing more than 10,000 damage locations and working to rebuild the electric system.”