Got Power? Open Your Hearts And Open Your Homes

As we enter Post-Irene Day 6, CL&P crews working in Madison with crews from around the country are working hard on 16-hour shifts to get Madison residents back on the grid, with mandatory rest periods so they don't get overtired and do something unsafe.

While they are working quickly, they are also having to work carefully and sometimes in conjunction with the town's police department and fire volunteers when the situation calls for that. While most of us want it to go faster now, a bad decision caused by haste or fatigue could have a catastrophic outcome for those involved and no one wants that. You only have to look at the number of trees around town still hanging on or tangled in wires to know this is a complicated task, at once both delicate and arduous.

There are many in town who don't believe that is true and I can say at this point I do understand their anger. While it's not fair to direct it towards the very people who are working non-stop and with very little sleep, and that includes the linemen, town officials, and our police and fire departments, it's more stressful and upsetting than I could have imagined to go this long without power. And the uncertainty around when power will be restored to all has made it worse.

It's creepy ...

Added to that, it's creepy to be in a totally dark neighborhood at night, one that is partly deserted, with the eerie thrum of generators in the background. Even the moon didn't help out last night. It was a mere sliver in the dark sky, with something of an orange glow.

At town hall and at the town's emergency management meeting yesterday, officials reported that they are disappointed in CL&P's recovery efforts so far, that they have talked with CL&P officials about this and that they have had our local, state and U.S. representatives weigh in on this as well with CL&P officials.

And it's clear that more frustration lies ahead for those who are not yet connected. There are still many lines down, tangled in partially fallen trees around town. Even in the south end of town, where the downtown area and the area around the police/station town hall has been restored, there are still huge areas not only without power, but with huge trees hanging on lines, including East Wharf Road. In North Madison, there are fallen trees almost too numerous to count.

People are struggling

Added to all of that, there are people in town who are struggling because their food supplies have run out or because they don't have access to other resources they need. The town’s Youth and Family Service Department saw an explosion of phone calls Thursday and is working hard to address those in need, but their resources are stretched and their offices are still without power. Still, they are doing what they can, working long hours like everyone else.

Another bright spot is Neighbor to Neighbor, an organization that is part of The Madison Foundation, Inc. Like so many other times when people in town have been in need, they are working side by side with Youth and Family Services to make sure those needs are met. 

The town, with the help of volunteer Pam McKinnon, also has kicked off a , allowing groups around town to start now helping to clean up and put the town back in order.

Remarkable generosity exhibited, more of that needed now

And, on an individual level, many people who have had their power restored have been remarkably generous with neighbors, opening their doors to allow those without to have showers, a hot meal, an internet connection, and a place to watch the Red Sox/Yankees game. If you have power and haven’t had a chance to do to do something for a neighbor or friend without, today would be a good day. And those goes for the days ahead as well, because it would be several more days before power is restored to all.

So, yes, people are angry and understandably so. And I don’t have an issue with those who are expressing their anger, as long as they are doing it appropriately and not blaming the very people who are working hard to get everything back in order. how United Illuminating Co. and CL&P have handled the restoration of power and consumer inquiries post-Irene. We do need answers to the questions of why it takes this long, whether CL&P could have done anything better, and what can be done to improve restoration and communication efforts next time.

At a local level, town officials are doing everything they can to communicate, a task that has been hampered by the number of people without access to the internet, electricity of a landline. As part of those communication efforts, there is a meeting tonight, an information session, at 5 p.m. Daniel Hand High School, 286 Green Hill Road, Madison. There will be an update on recovery efforts. Bring your questions. And encourage civility. To a person, the people at that meeting providing you with information have been working hard to make things right. Most of them have gone without sleep and are still without power as well.

Good words for these times

I was in someone's home the other day and saw a sign hanging with these words from Mother Teresa: “Three things in human life are important; The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind." Good words for these times. Be angry, voice your concerns, and be kind. Kind of like juggling, difficult at first and then not so much to do all of those at once.

And, a reminder … if you are still without power and you haven’t already reported it, do that now. Below is some information from CL&P about their restoration efforts and how to contact them to make that report.

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The majority of crews beginning their shift around 7 a.m. to maximize daylight hours when they can be most productive.  Crews work approximately 16 hour shifts and all employees are required to take at least an eight hour rest period between shifts to ensure their safety and minimize fatigue.

For your safety, CL&P also reminds customers to NEVER touch a downed line and stay at least 10 feet away from all wires. Assume any downed, hanging or burning power lines are live and dangerous. If a power line falls on your vehicle while you’re inside, stay there.  Don’t touch anything outside the vehicle and wait for emergency crews.  Call 9-1-1 immediately with any emergency condition.  

To report outages or check the status of an outage, visit cl-p.com or call 800-286-2000.  Our automated phone and online systems can rapidly process your report and help us speed restoration efforts.  For helpful tips and news updates, go to our website at cl-p.com, follow us on Twitter @CTLightandPower and like us at  facebook.com/CTLightandPower.  You can also get updates on outages in your town by texting “outage” and your zip code to 24612 (texting fees may apply).