CL&P has released projections for power restoration for some communities at cl-p.com. Greenwich, New Milford and Stamford restoration expected Saturday. Norwalk expected to be back Tuesday and Newtown next Wednesday.
UI was less specific declining to give specific geographic centers predictions after repeated inquiries but did say it expects to only have 10,000 outages this weekend.
Archive for August, 2011
CL&P says power back in Geenwich Saturday
Labor Day outlook for state parks
State Parks will be open this Labor Day weekend, but swimming may be banned at many locations.
Here’s the latest press briefing from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as of late Wednesday afternoon:
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that all state swimming areas remain closed until further notice due to poor water quality or unsafe swimming conditions caused by Hurricane Irene. State parks and campgrounds will continue to reopen on a case-by-case basis after safety inspections, cleanups are completed, and power restored but residents and visitors need to stay out of the water until further notice.
“It is still not safe to go swimming in any state park swimming area and everyone needs to be aware of the hazardous conditions present and stay out of the water,” said DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty. “In addition, people should avoid swimming or boating in the state’s rivers and streams because water quality is poor, and high water levels, along with storm debris have created dangerous conditions.”
State campgrounds that have reopened as of August 31, 2011 are:
- Austin Hawes Campground (American Legion State Forest) – Barkhamsted
- Housatonic Meadows State Park Campground – Cornwall, Sharon
- Macedonia Brook State Park Campground – Kent
- Black Rock State Park Campground (not swim area) – Thomaston
- Lake Waramaug State Park Campground (not swim area) – Kent
In addition to the above campgrounds, 35 state parks have also been able to reopen including, Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison (park only; not swim area or campground), Fort Trumbull State Park in New London (fishing pier is closed), Farm River State Park in East Haven and Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union.
A complete, up-to-date status of state parks, campgrounds and beaches is available at the official state website for the status of Hurricane recovery efforts (www.ct.gov/irene) under the following link: Hurricane Irene: Parks, Beaches & Campground Status Report or the DEEP home page (www.ct.gov/deep) under the following link: View current status of parks and forests, beaches and campgrounds. The current status of state parks can also be obtained via Twitter: @CTDEPoutdoorrec
Campers will continue to be able to receive full refunds for the nights they are not able to use their reservations. Campers can find information on how to obtain a refund by visiting the DEEP Camping website (http://www.ct.gov/dep/camping) and selecting Camping Reservations or by going directly to the ReserveAmerica website (http://www.reserveamerica.com). Campers may also call ReserveAmerica’s toll free number at 1-877-668-CAMP (2267).
Monroe schools to open Sept. 6
MONROE – Monroe Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday. They will open for all students on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Non-potable water is available at Monroe Police Department and at Stevenson Volunteer Fire Department Station #2. There are hoses outside each building. This water is not for drinking, but should be used for washing or toilet flushing.
Showers are available at Masuk High School and at Wolfe Park Wednesday Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Drinking water is available at the Monroe Senior Center on Cutlers Farm Road. Bring your own containers. Sheltering is available, if needed at the Senior Center. Call 203-452-3771.
CL&P continues to work closely and coordinate efforts with the Town of Monroe Public Works to clear roads and restore power.
911 is for serious emergency use only.
The main business line at Monroe Police Department is down. However you can call 203-452-2830 to contact a dispatcher.
Have you had problems reporting your outage to UI?
A Fairfield resident said he reported his outage to UI on Saturday, but when he called the company to follow up, there was no record of it. His email:
I just called the customer service number to request a restoration date for my power which has been out for 4 days now.
I gave my address and name and in a very surprised voice was asked when my power went out. I said 4 days ago and asked why she was surprised and she said she had no report of an outage at my location.
I live in Fairfield and lost power on Saturday night at some point and reported the outage via the automated line using my UI account number. Today I have now realized that UI didn’t even have a record of my outage so I wonder what the numbers they quote for affected customers really reflect.
Everyone needs to contact them and make sure their outage is recorded even if they think they reported it when it went out. I definitely did report it but clearly there is no record of that.
Has anyone experienced similar problems reporting their outages?
Easton: goal today is retore power to 950 homes
On Wednesday morning, 1823 homes were still without power in Easton. Easton first selectman Tom Herrmann said United Illuminating will attempt to restore power to 950 homes by the end of the day, a goal he called laudable.
UI crews left Easton on Monday at 2 p.m. and were not seen since, Herrmann said.
“We politely prevailed upon authorities at UI, and I understand we now have three restoration crews in town,” Herrmann said.
Easton has one of the lowest rates of outages per incident, Herrmann said. That means for every downed wire, only about 40 homes are affected. UI prioritizes its efforts based on what will get the most restorations, making Easton low on the list.
“We all remain optimistic but we are at mercy of UI,” Herrmann said. “We can’t count on the balance to be restored by end of the day tomorrow. If we can be fully restored by Saturday, that’s a more realistic goal.”
More than 70 percent of people in Easton were without power immediately after the storm.
People without power can take a shower at Helen Keller Middle School or Joel Barlow High School. Non-potable water is available at Town Hall and potable water and ready-to-eat meals will be available at the police department later today.
“Easton is a hardy crew,” Herrmann said. “People are pulling together. My own home has turned into a bed & breakfast, a laundromat, and a shower facility. I sure am pleased we bought that front loading Bosch washing machine at the beginning of the summer.”
City purchases land to complete recreation path
SHELTON — The city purchased the “Great Ledge” property off of Oak Valley Road Extension for open space this week, according to Teresa Gallagher, the city’s conservation agent. The property, which cost $190,000, had multiple owners and we worked for six years to acquire it,” Gallagher said.
She said this was a critical purchase because it was the last property needed to complete construction of the 4-mile Shelton Lakes Recreation Path.
She said 3.5 miles has been constructed, but a section in the middle was not built because they didn’t have the property.
The Rec Path is a handicapped-accessible, multi-use gravel path that stretches from the edge of downtown Shelton at Pine Lake to Huntington Center. “The property is located off the end of Oak Valley Road Extension, a narrow asphalt road that connects to Nells Rock Road near Hope Lake,” she said.
There will be a Rec Path Celebration on Sept. 24 at noon on the path.
“We’ll take people along the new route on bike or by foot, stopping in Huntington Center for refreshments,” she said.
Shelton police plan DUI checkpoint Friday
SHELTON — The Police Department will conduct a DUI enforcement checkpoint on Friday from 6:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The checkpoint will take place on Bridgeport Avenue, River Road, and in the downtown area. The checkpoint location is subject to change.
The checkpoint will be headed by the Shelton Police Traffic Division with assistance from the patrol division. The checkpoint is being partially funded by a grant from the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation. The goal of the checkpoint is to make the roads in Shelton a safer place to drive. Drivers are reminded that drinking and driving do not mix.
