MAINE, USA — Maine power companies are bracing for a weekend of wind, making preparations to respond to potential outages across the state.
NEWS CENTER Maine meteorologist Mike Slifer says there’s a chance gusts could approach between 40 and 50 mph downwind of the mountains in western Maine. Strong wind is expected Friday night through Saturday morning. Slifer says the strongest gusts subside through the morning on Saturday, but the breeze will not let up until Tuesday.
He predicts outages will be low.
Central Maine Power (CMP) is nonetheless preparing for widespread outages. In a release Friday afternoon, CMP’s parent company Avangrid said 200 internal line workers and 120 in-state contracted line workers are “ready to respond.” In addition, crews from CMP’s sister utilities are on standby to assist if needed.
“Wind can be very challenging when it comes to the power restoration process,” Kerri Therriault, CMP’s director of electric operations, said in a release. “These conditions make it dangerous for our line workers to go up in buckets, cause significant tree damage, and often last longer than snow and thunderstorms. Outages can continue as long as the wind is gusting, even when we are actively restoring power. We have made sure to prepare ahead of time and will be ready to respond as the winds roll in.”
Keep track of CMP and Versant Power outages with their outage maps.
Stick with us and our weather team throughout the weekend for the latest updates.
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