UPDATE: Central Maine Power anticipates a multiple-day restoration effort, lasting into early next week for some customers in hardest hit areas. With more trees coming down across power lines the number of outages has increased over the April 4 morning and early afternoon.

In Lincolnville, which has been hit the hardest in Waldo County with reported outages, Camden Road was closed due to low-hanging power lines, and Slab City Road was closed with two large trees.

Statewide, Cumberland County is again bearing a large brunt of power outages, followed by Androscoggin, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Knox counties. 

Of CMP’s 675.603 customers, 315,976 are without power.

“The storm has created near-blizzard conditions, and road and work conditions across our service area continue to be hazardous,” an 11:30 a.m. CMP news release said. “Given the scale of damage we are seeing, at this time we do anticipate this to be a multiple-day restoration effort, lasting into early next week for some customers in hardest hit areas.

“All restoration starts with two key functions: 1) ensuring public safety and 2) assessing the damage. Damage assessment is key to efficient restoration. When you see trucks driving in your neighborhood, know that they are likely assessing damage to determine the best plan for restoring power in the safest, quickest way possible. Our assessors inspect the damage and identify the crews (tree, pole setting, line) and equipment (poles, transformers, wires) needed to make repairs. Once the right crews and equipment for the job are assigned, we will have an estimate of when your power is likely to be restored and we will provide that estimate to you.

“In addition to addressing public safety concerns, like opening roads and ensuring critical facilities like hospitals have power, and damage assessment today, we will be working to repair substations and transmission lines, which are the backbone of our electric system. This is the most effective way for us to quickly restore large groups of customers.

“Your outage status will remain assessing until an ETR is established. We know it can be frustrating to be without power but, rest assured, we are on it – working to complete these initial steps of restoration as safely and quickly as possible. Learn more about our Power Restoration process.

What is assessing?

“As the storm subsides, our damage assessor are out in the field getting eyes on the damage to determine how many poles are broken, trees need to be removed, transformers need replacing, wires need to be restrung, and what types of crews are needed for each incident.  This can mean driving the extent of each circuit or, in the case of transmission lines, flying helicopters to assess the damage.  All of this is “assessing” and is critical so that crews respond to outages with the right equipment to make repairs.”

As of 1:30 p.m., CMP reported the following the following outages across Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties. Go here for specific locations.

CMP provides electricity service to 26,740 customers in KNOX County.

CMP provides electricity service to 28,609 customers in LINCOLN County.

CMP provides electricity service to 26,173 customers in WALDO County.

As of 9 a.m., Central Maine Power was reporting the following outages across Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties. Go here for specific locations.

CMP provides electricity service to 26,740 customers in KNOX County.

CMP provides electricity service to 28,609 customers in LINCOLN County.

CMP provides electricity service to 26,173 customers in WALDO County.