LEWISTON, Maine — Thousands of Central Maine Power customers in Maine's second-largest city remain in the dark Thursday night after a spring nor'easter brought lots of snow and high winds to the state. That includes part of Lewiston's business district and several hard-hit neighborhoods, where crews are going street by street clearing down limbs and branches.
As of Thursday evening, CMP was reporting more than 8,000 customers in Lewiston without power. In Auburn, that number stands at nearly 6,300 without power.
An ordinarily busy section of Lisbon Street was quiet and dark on Thursday, stretching from Locust Street in the downtown area to the Turnpike exit.
Ian Clavette rushed from Lisbon to get gas and supplies from one of the few gas stations open in the area. He was heading to his girlfriend's apartment in Auburn; she was also without power.
"What is she doing to stay warm? Nothing too much, just wearing a lot of sweaters and extra blankets," Clavette explained.
Near the Cumberland County and Androscoggin County line, residents like Kevin Buck were busy trying to keep up with the heavy snow piling up on his property and driveway. Buck, who lives off of Sabbath Day Road in New Gloucester, was awakened Thursday morning after his CPAP machine stopped working at four.
"I have sleep apnea and couldn't breathe; it was just cold and windy. I just kept hearing trees cracking everywhere," Buck said.
Crews were busy clearing branches from power lines brought down by heavy snow all along Route 26, including near the Hannaford Supermarket in Gray to neighborhoods along the road in New Gloucester.
Jeff Edwards, a New Gloucester resident, said he was more than prepared thanks to weather reports earlier in the week.
"I serviced the tractor yesterday, and we got all the stuff we needed. We have a generator and we are going to stay warm," Edwards added.