Check on neighbors, especially the elderly; hot showers at Pen Bay YMCA

Storm damage lingers with extensive power outages; Waldo and Knox county shelters, warming centers open

Lynda Clancy

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 11:00am

Midcoast, Downeast and Central Maine are encased in ice this Christmas Eve. (Photo by Brian Wight)

Outages reported at 10 a.m. with Bangor Hydro, which services Hancock and Washington counties, and parts of Penobscot County.

As a major winter and ice storm continues to cause power outages and treacherous travel conditions, Governor Paul R. LePage announced today that the State of Emergency declared Dec. 21 remains in effect, which ensures that all available state resources would be available to assist affected communities. Waldo and Knox counties have opened shelters and warming locations. This includes the Penobscot Bay YMCA in Rockport, with hot running water and showers, until 2 p.m.

“After assuring that your family is safe, check in on friends and neighbors who may need assistance,” Governor LePage said. “Neighbors helping neighbors save lives. Please share safety information with those who might not have received it.”

Power company crews and sheriff departments have been requesting throughout the morning help in transporting some without heat and electricity to shelters. Many of those calls are have concerned the elderly. It is vital to check on neighbors in the wake of weather that has lingered over Maine for the past three days. Customers in Lincolnville and other hard-hit towns have been without power since Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to plummet tonight toward zero, making it all the more imperative to get vulnerable citizens to warm shelters if power is not restored.

Knox County Sheriff Donna Dennison is stressing that residents not operate generators indoors.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning can be life threatening,” she said. “Make sure the generator is far enough away from your building so the exhaust does not filter inside or catch something on fire.”

Generator Safety- Knox area fire departments have responded to numerous carbon monoxide alarms in homes over the past two days. In nearly all cases the alarms were attributed to generators being operated in attached garages or near open windows. If you are using a generator, use it safely. Do not operate in attached garages or within 15 feet of any open window or door.

Warming Centers have been opened in the Knox County towns of Appleton, Hope, Washington and Union. Most will be open through 6 p.m. They are at:

Appleton Fire Station, 2845 New Sennebec Road

Hope Corner Fire Station, 475 Camden Road

Union Town Office (Meeting room), 567 Common Road

Washington- Gibbs Library, 40 Old Union Road

Additionally, the Penobscot Bay YMCA has opened its doors today until 2 p.m. for residents who need to get in out of the cold or to take a hot shower. The Pen Bay Y is located at 116 Union Street in Rockport.

Local and County EMA officials and the American Red Cross are assessing the need to open an overnight shelter to support residents in towns most affected by the current power outages.

Ice Storm Shelter Status

As of 10 a.m., these shelters are open:

Kennebec: Helen Thompson Elementary School: OPEN. Warming Center, West Gardiner, 309 Spears Corner Road. Open today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kennebec: Winthrop Ambulance Base: OPEN. Warming Center, Winthrop, 31 Old Western Ave. (Old Winthrop Health Center). Open today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Penobscot: Brewer Municipal Auditorium: OPEN. Emergency Shelter, Brewer, 203 State Street

Waldo: Troy Howard Middle School: OPEN. Emergency Shelter, Pet Shelter, Belfast, 173 Lincolnville Avenue

Waldo: Varney Community Center: OPEN. Warming Center, Brooks, 24 Veterans Highway

Waldo: Stockton Springs Town Office: OPEN. Warming Center, Stockton Springs, 217 Main Street, 567-3404

Washington: Washington County Community College: OPEN. Emergency Shelter, Calais, 1 College Drive

CMP’s restoration methods

According to CMP’s Emergency Service Restoration Plan, crews first repair downed lines and restore power to critical facilities, such as hospitals and shelters.

Crews are dispatched to restore power where it is critical to protect life and keep the community safe: hospitals, nursing homes, media outlets, police and fire stations.

Electricity gets to homes from a series of substations that serve as relay points as power travels to communities throughout the region. One of the first priorities is repairing damage to those substations so electricity will flow to the distribution and branch lines beyond.

Distribution and branch lines carry electricity to neighborhoods. CMP restores distribution lines called "primary feeders" first, because they serve many neighborhoods. Then, crews repair and restore power to branch lines that extend from those primary feeders.

Sometimes restoring service to substations and transmission lines -- including primary feeders and branch lines -- is just the beginning.

Breaks also may occur in neighborhoods where many single lines supply individual homes. Crews assess damage to entire neighborhoods by driving down individual streets to identify these single line problems. Then they return to the exact location of damage after distribution and branch lines are back in service.

Maine Emergency Management Agency issues safety advice

Ice on roadways and falling trees and power lines will make travel dangerous or impossible.

Travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, keep emergency supplies in your car such as flashlight, food and water.

Keep a safe distance from other vehicles, including plow trucks. Don’t crowd the plow.

All the utilities are reminding the public that no fallen power line is safe to touch. If you find a downed power line, call your electric utility immediately

Death can result from improper use of generators. To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, use generators outside only, at least 15 feet away from doors and windows. Have a carbon monoxide detector with battery back-up where people sleep.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, nausea, vomiting or dizziness. Get out of the house and call 911 at once.

For power outage reports, contact:

Bangor Hydro/Maine Public Service: 1-800-440-1111 (Central and Downeast Maine) and 877-655-4448 (Northern Maine) or http://bhe.com/about-us/outages-and-restorations.aspx;

Central Maine Power at 1-800-696-1000 or http://www.cmpco.com/Outages/outageinformation.html;

Eastern Maine Electric: (207) 454-7555 Ext. 250, (800) 696-7444 Ext. 250.

Life or safety-threatening emergency: Call 9-1-1

For shelter locations or other health and safety resources: Dial 2-1-1 (toll free) or http://www.211maine.org

Maine Prepares: http://www.maineprepares.com

Maine Emergency Management Agency: http://www.maine.gov/mema

National Weather Service Gray: http://www.weather.gov/gray

https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Gray.gov

National Weather Service Caribou: http://www.weather.gov/caribou

https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Caribou.gov

Maine DOT Travel Information: 511maine.gov or dial 5-1-1 (toll-free)

MEMA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaineEMA