On Wednesday night, Dec. 20, Central Maine Power reported that as of 7:30 p.m. the company restored power to 281,000 of its 405,000 affected customers. As crews complete work in less affected communities, they are redeployed to areas hardest hit to continue the restoration effort.

“We want to thank so many members of the community who have come together over the past several days to help support the hundreds of line and tree crews working in the field,” said CMP. “From institutions like the University of Maine Farmington and Thomas College, which are allowing our crews to utilize their dormitories and other facilities, to the Maine Forest Service which helped line inspectors survey damage along our long-distance transmission lines, the support our crews are receiving from the community is something you only see in Maine.

”We still have a lot of work to do, and more than 1,500 line and tree crews will be on the job across CMP’s service area for several more days.

“After a motor vehicle sideswiped a bucket truck on Tuesday, we are asking you to be mindful of crews who are working roadside. The safety of our crews is a top priority. Power restoration is dangerous work, and if you see our crews working along the road, please give them plenty of space to prevent accidents or harm.

“We can get through this, together.”

CMP reminds:

Stay away from downed lines. No line is safe to touch.  
Turn off or unplug major appliances and sensitive electronics.
Never use ranges or outdoor stoves to heat your home.
If you need shelter or food, reach out to 211 for available resources.

If you lose service:

For fast outage reporting, use the CMP Mobile App or visit Outage Central.
Keep sensitive electronic appliances such as computers, TVs, and sounds systems plugged into a surge protector, or unplug them. They could be damaged if a power surge occurs when electricity is restored.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.

Home Generators
Any generator that plugs into a home’s electrical system must be installed by a certified electrician. Always follow safety guidelines when operating a generator. Generators should be placed outdoors and away from doors and windows to prevent exposure to carbon monoxide.        

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be located on every level of a home, outside all sleeping areas. Test them monthly and replace the batteries at least twice a year.

Appliances
Never use a stove or oven to stay warm. Only space heaters intended for indoor use should be operated indoors or in enclosed spaces, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.         

Space Heaters
Use only space heaters that have been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and never use a device designed for outdoor use indoors. Place the space heater on a level surface away from foot traffic, at least three feet from combustible materials. Inspect the cord for fraying, and after plugging it in, periodically feel the cord near the outlet to make sure the plastic is not getting hot. Do not run the space heater cord under a rug or carpeting, and never use an extension cord for a space heater. Keep children and pets away, and turn off the space heater when leaving the area.    

Hot Water and Plumbing
Water pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures may freeze and burst. Don’t ignore drips or odd noises from your heating system. Wrap exposed pipes in the basement with pipe insulation to help them retain heat and avoid freezing.

Crews and support staff from Canada and states as far away as Ohio are working with our tree and line crews in the largest restoration effort in the Company’s history. Trucks are on the roads and helicopters are in the air.

“We continue to work around the clock to restore power to our customers as soon as possible,” said CMP, in a Dec. 20 evening news release. “We know that being without power is tough and that’s why we are also focused on providing customers with an Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR). You can find your ETR on our mobile friendly website.”

CMP continued:

Why does my address still say Assessing?

Until a crew is assigned to the outage, the status remains Assessing. Damage assessors 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. Once the assessment is completed, the restoration effort can be handed off to field crews to make the repairs. Once a crew is assigned, then an ETR is determined and will be shown on the website and the Mobile App, and will be sent to customers though Outage Alerts.

What is an ETR?

An ETR or Estimated Time of Restoration is the time we expect to have your power restored. As the name implies, this is an estimate based on our assessment of damage and assignment of crews. If our initial ETR requires an adjustment based on new information or conditions, we will update you. ETRs are displayed on our mobile friendly website in the Outage List and on the Outage Map.

Learn more about our Power Restoration process.

Wednesday evening, 8 p.m., Dec. 20

Detail by County is listed below.

Knox County

Waldo County