Schools open

Road closures, power outages dot Midcoast

Tue, 10/30/2012 - 8:15am

    Residents Monday night went to bed to the sound of wind howling like a moving freight train and woke up around 7 a.m. to a quick-moving downpour with lightning and thunder. Throughout the night into the early morning hours Tuesday, fire departments across Knox and Waldo counties were called out to trees and lines down, but there were no reports of flooding or water damage.

    The National Weather Service dropped the coastal flood and high wind warnings for Maine around 3:40 a.m. The forecast calls for diminishing winds, to 15-20 mph, throughout the day Tuesday. Scattered showers are expected to continue off and on through Friday.

    Knox County Emergency Management Agency Director Ray Sisk closed the Knox EOC office at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, with the EMA office set to open again at 8 a.m.

    Sisk said that downed power lines and/or damaged power poles or dangerous tree conditions have led to the following road closures:

    Appleton:
    Town Hill Road, near Box 192
    Collinstown Road, near Box 1386

    Camden:
    Riverside Road, near Box 39

    Hope:
    Howe Hill Road, near Box 517

    In addition, traffic lights are out at routes 17 and 90 in West Rockport and the Rockland Breakwater and Breakwater Park are expected to remain closed through mid-day today.

    "Motorists are asked to respect road closure barricades or cones," said Sisk. "They are there for your safety."

    Reported power outages in Knox County peaked Monday night around 6 p.m., with nearly 1,200 outages, mostle in Hope and Camden. Many restored by 8 p.m., but outage reports rose again to just over 600 around 3 a.m. Residents can call Central Maine Power at 1-800-696-1000 to return an outage.

    CMP is reporting power outages as of 7:16 a.m. Tuesday in the following towns and their respective roads, all served by the Rockland Service Center area.

    Appleton:
    Barlow School Road, Burkettville Road, Collinstown Road, East Sennebec Road, Main Street and Rowell Road.

    Belfast:
    Congress Street, Edgecomb Road, Jones Line, Lincolnville Center Road, Littlefield Road, New Herrick Line, Perkins Road, Sandal Wood Drive, White Road, Woodville Lane and Young Line.

    Bucksport:
    Alan Smith Drive, Bolstridge Drive, Bucks Mills Road and Robshaw Road.

    Camden:
    Beaucaire Avenue, Beloin Road, Erskine Line, Gossess Hill Road, Hope Road, Knox Woolen Line, Molyneaux Road, Old Hope Road, Riverside Drive and Sand Street.

    Castine:
    Phelps Line

    Cushing:
    Ames-Dallett Line, Cove Road, Stones Point Road and Young Line.

    Frankfort:
    Hall Road

    Freedom:
    Ayer Ridge Road, Carlston Line, Elliott Road and Sibley Road.

    Friendship:
    Martins Point Road and Thomaston Road.

    Hope:
    Appleton Road, Beaver Lodge Road, Brazier-Lafolley Line, Buzzell Hill Road, Camden Road, Cedar Road, Gillette Road Extension, Goldberg Line, Gordon Hill Road, Hacky Burnham Road, Hall Road, Hart Road, Hobbs Pond Road, Hunter Line, Jameson Line, Kimball Road, Lincolnville Road, Morton Line, Pease Road, Phillip Jones Line, Richards Road, Robbins Road, Wentworth Line and Wileys Corner Road.

    Islesboro:
    County Road, East Shore Drive, Main Road and Sanborn Line.

    Knox:
    Belfast Road

    Liberty:
    Knowlton Line

    Lincolnville:
    Atlantic Highway, Belfast Road, Cobbtown Road, Lane Line, Moody Mountain Road, Pitcher Pond Line, Whitney Road and Wileys Corner Road.

    Montville:
    Knox Corner Road

    Northport:
    Atlantic Highway, Beech Hill Road, Bryant Line, Davis Line, Eagle Drive, George Street, Gray Hill Road, Hart Road, Herricks Bog Road, Horse Jockey Lane, Knights Pond Road, Kosmo Line, Lincolnville Center Road, Mount Percival Road, Old Mill Road, Prescott Hill Road, Priest Road, Ramsey Road, Rustic Hills Development, Saturday Cove Estate, Saturday Cove Road, Shore Road, Stevens Road, Town Landing Road, Winkler Line, Woods School Road and Woodside Subdivision.

    Orland:
    Blaisdale Hill Line, Blodgett Lane, Devlin Line and Upper Falls Road.

    Penobscot:
    Roberts Point Road and Town Road.

    Rockland:
    Cedar Street and South Street.

    Rockport:
    Aelto Line, Augusta Road, Huse Street, Kathys Lane, Kathys Lane Extension, Kimberly Drive, Limerock Street, Mount Pleasant Street, Scotts Road, Spear Street, Summer Street, Union Street and Upham Road.

    Searsmont:
    Buck Road, Hemenway Road, Knights Road, Liberty Road, Moody Mountain Road and Union Road.

    South Thomaston:
    Gross Line, Ocean View Camp and Robbins Line.

    St. George:
    Mosquito Head Line, Overlock Line and Shumakar Line.

    Stockton Springs:
    Middle Street

    Swanville:
    Gurney Line and Monroe Road.

    Union:
    Barrett Hill Road, Beote Road, Butler Road, Buzzell Hill Road, Clary Hill Road, Crawford Pond Road, Happy Hollow Road, Hilt Lane, Mars Hill Camp Road, Miller Road, Odds Lane, Overlock Hill Road, Payson Line, Quigley Road, Seiders Hill Road, Simmons Lane, St. Clair Line, St. Clair Road and West Warren Road.

    Waldoboro:
    Bowman Drive, Brockett Line, Friendship Road, Hoak Road, Love Lane, Manks Corner Road, Newbert Road, Ross Road and Washington Road.

    Warren:
    Middle Road and Waldoboro Road.

    Washington:
    Burketville Road, Little Medomak Brook Road, McDevitt Line, McDowell Road, Mendleson Lane, Old Augusta Road, Overlock Ridge Road, Sawyer Road and Washington Pond Road.

    Winterport:
    Mirkwood Road and Stream Road.

    Knox Couny EMA offers the following safety information.

    • Motorists and homeowners will undoubtedly see tree/powerline issues as the sun comes up and they start making their way in to work or school. Remember, NO POWERLINE IS SAFE TO TOUCH, EVER! CMP and area fire and police departments have been up all night responding to reported tree utility problems and there are likely some unreported problems remaining. Downed powerline reports should be called in to the Knox County Regional Communications Center by dialing 911. Knox 911 dispatchers answered nearly 150 calls for service between 3 p.m. Monday and 3 a.m. Tuesday.

    • Generators, if used, should be used cautiously! Carbon monoxide — a colorless, odorless gas — claimed the lives of two Maine residents and severely sickened two others following hurricane IRENE last year. Run portable generators outdoors only, at least 15 feet from any window or door, and never in an enclosed or semi-enclosed space such as a garage or basement. Do not use outdoor cooking devices indoors.