Gusts, rain complicate work as crews try to restore Maine outages from last storm - Press Herald

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed coastal Maine on Monday, complicating ongoing efforts to fix utility lines damaged during a storm last week and raising concerns about new outages.

Winds gusts were clocked at almost 50 mph in Bangor and Bar Harbor on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Gray. Steady rain continued across most of the state, with some areas getting as much as half an inch of rain per hour.

This has utility companies and state officials worried about additional power outages. Crews scrambled over the weekend to finish restoring power after a heavy snowstorm Thursday knocked out electricity to nearly a third of the state. About 25,000 Maine households were without power as of 5 p.m. Monday.

Downed power lines burn on Falmouth Road in Falmouth on Monday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

But it was the potential for flooding that had state officials worried Monday night. Warmer temperatures mean that most Mainers can hunker down and ride out a power outage, but flash floods from rainfall and snow melt are a different story, said Maine Emergency Management Agency spokesman Susan Faloon.

“We’re encouraging people who live by water in the White Mountain area of western Maine and northern Maine near the Allagash and St. John rivers to have an evacuation plan in place, just in case,” Faloon said. “With social distancing measures in place, and motels closed, it’s more complicated than usual.”

Families that fall into high-risk categories should talk to neighbors, friends and relatives now, in advance of an emergency, to see who may have the ability to take them in while still following pandemic guidelines if the heavy rain and snow melt cause flash flooding, she said.

If that is not an option, they should check with their towns, which might open up emergency shelters, she said, or consider calling 211, the state’s toll-free referral line. Such decisions become harder to make in the heat of the moment, especially if the storm knocks out power, Faloon said.

Although utility crews are working around the clock, it is unlikely they can restore power to all those who lost it in last week’s storm before Monday night’s weather causes new outages, said Faloon. MEMA will continue to work with utilities to prioritize power restoration for critical services like hospitals and grocery stores.

Pedestrians navigate the sidewalk along Congress Street in Portland on a wet and windy Monday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Utility crews have asked Mainers to remember that even they must follow state and federal social distance guidelines. In his daily briefing Monday, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah said utility crews are reporting an increase in the number of Mainers seeking a face-to-face chat.

Simply put, utility crews need that 6-feet berth, too, Shah said.

“Power outages during pandemics come with additional challenges – full refrigerators with food that could spoil, people working from home, kids studying from home,” he said. “Give utility workers the space they need to do their jobs, maintain physical distance and get back everybody’s electricity as quick as possible.”

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for much of the state, including Cumberland and York counties. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects, and tree limbs could be blown down, which will make power restoration that much more challenging, Faloon said.

A high-wind warning is in effect for coastal Waldo, Lincoln and Knox counties, where gusts of up to 60 mph are expected. The weather service said damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines, widespread power outages are expected and travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

The weather service also issued a storm warning for coastal waters, where very strong winds will cause hazardous seas that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.

Strong wind gusts will make it difficult, and at times impossible, for line crews to make immediate repairs.

Workers attend to downed power lines on Falmouth Road in Falmouth on Monday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

“What the storm on Monday does for us, it’s really being laser-focused on getting people restored before that storm hits,” said CMP President and CEO Doug Herling. “When the peak of (Monday’s) storm comes through they’re saying we could have winds around 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 and it’s unsafe to be up in a bucket in 40 mph winds.”

CMP reported just over 14,450 customers were still without power at 5 p.m. Monday evening, primarily in Penobscot, Waldo and Somerset counties, down from approximately 260,000 without power right after the snowstorm. It had about 1,500 people on clean-up and restoration duty working Sunday.

Emera Maine, which serves northern and Down East areas, reported about 10,600 customers were without power as of 5 p.m. Monday, according to its website.