Central Maine Power line crews work to restore power on High Street in Waterville on Wednesday. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
COUNTY — Strong winds Wednesday, Sept. 30, have resulted in numerous power outages in the area. Many were still in the dark Thursday morning.
At 9:25 a.m. Wednesday, Central Maine Power Co. announced 4,300 Franklin County customers were without power. Those without power rose to 5,294 by 4:10 p.m. Thursday morning 1,888 were still in the dark at 6:39 a.m.
Wednesday, Central Maine Power Co. reported more than 104,000 outages at 11:40 a.m., but that number had dropped to just under 80,000 by 2 p.m. By 4:10 p.m., more than 65,000 CMP customers were without power. Kennebec County was the hardest hit at that time, with 15,264 outages reported.
Wednesday afternoon, all 840 Kingfield customers and 1,128 in Carrabassett Valley were without power. Almost half of CMP’s 2,507 customers in that town lacked power.
In New Sharon, 599 were without power. The number in Chesterville was 502, 322 in Wilton, 306 in Industry and 241 in Freeman Twp. In Jay the number was 213 while Farmington had 172 outages. Avon had the least reported number at 10.
CMP officials say the outages are caused by heavy branches weighed down by foliage that fall onto lines, frequently outside of the company’s regularly maintained trimming zone. Trees that are still full of leaves are heavier and more prone to coming down when they are hit by stronger winds, said Catharine Hartnett, a company spokesperson.
Thursday morning there were more power outages in Wilton than on Wednesday with 348 customers dark. Power for some of the 322 customers originally in the dark was restored Wednesday afternoon.
Power had been restored to all Carrabassett customers and only one each in Kingfield and Avon were still without power.
Outages had also been reduced to 380 in Chesterville, 204 in Industry, 147 in Farmington, 133 in Jay and 114 in Freeman Twp. 10 other towns or unorganized territories still had customers without power, but those had less than 100 customers each in the dark.
Strong wind gusts were complicating efforts to restore power.
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