MONROE, CT — Eversource crews put a dent in the number of power outages in Monroe, reducing it from 1,143 early Monday morning to 659 (8.1 percent of the town) just before 3 p.m. in the afternoon. But it will take days for the power company to restore electricity throughout the entire state as the rain and wind storm lingers.
In the state, 62,962 Eversource customers are currently without power.
Police Chief Keith White said he recently completed a phone call with Eversource.
“They’re declaring it a multi-day restoration event,” he said. “They’re focused on clearing up all blocked roads in the region, then addressing critical infrastructure like hospitals, schools and nursing homes, and restoring power as they can.”
“They’ve run into issues as the storm has lingered,” he added. “They can’t go up in the buckets under certain conditions that have been persistent throughout the day. Eversource currently plans to continue with their efforts throughout the event.”
Anyone who needs a warming center and to charge their cellphones and other electronics are welcome to come to Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, 733 Monroe Turnpike, which is open until 7 p.m., and the Monroe Police Department lobby, 7 Fan Hill Road, which is open 24/7.
White said 19 locations were impacted by downed trees and wires earlier in the day, a number that was reduced to 10 as the Monroe Public Works Department and Eversource crews worked to clear roads.
The traffic lights on Monroe’s main thoroughfares have been operable, but the light at the intersection of Purdy Hill and Route 111 was on flash mode the last time the chief checked.
Monroe Fire Chief Kevin Catalano said town firefighters responded to 21 storm-related calls from 3:45 a.m. through 3 p.m., mostly wires down, as well as arcing wires and false fire alarms due to power surges. Firefighters have also checked some homes for hazards due to flooding and tree damage.
“There were no major incidents and no injuries for the calls we responded to,” Catalano said. “It’s was very busy in the 5- 7 a.m. period.”
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