Sandy@Madison, Friday, Nov. 2, 2012: "CL&P Is Not Pulling Crews From Madison To Send To Other Towns"

As of 11 p.m., Madison was 37 percent without power, or 3,359 customers of 9,056.

Here are the numbers statewide:

Total CL&P Customers Served:
1,240,246

Total CL&P Customers Reported Affected:
117,090

% of CL&P Customers Reported Affected:
9%

There was an unconfirmed report of a transformer fire around 9:20 p.m. on Friday.

From Scranton Memorial Librarian Beth Crowley:

"I have been getting emails from the State Library all day regarding Storm Sandy and the legal responsibility of CT insurance companies along with information about FEMA. If you need information please stop by the library and let us help. Plus you can charge your devices while you wait. Oh and there are plenty of books to borrow which don't require electricity to operate."

As of 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012

Good afternoon.  This is Fillmore McPherson, your First Selectman, with the Hurricane Sandy update for Friday, November 2.

As of now, 58% of the town has power, more than twice the coverage when we last spoke.  Progress is continuing and today will see another substantial improvement.  I want to assure you that CL&P is not pulling crews from Madison to send to other towns.  If anything, I have been asking them to bring more crews here.  If you see a problem that has not been addressed, take a picture on your smart phone and send it to 911@madisonct.org.  In the meantime, I would like to reiterate earlier warnings that you should not touch any downed wires.  Assume that any wire you see is hot.

In addition to working on the distribution lines, CL&P has hired electricians to reattach any service wires from the pole to your house, so long as there is no other damage at your end.  Normally, such restoration is the responsibility of the homeowner, but they are taking this step given the scope of the problem.  If your service wire is down, call 1-800-286-2000 and report “downed wire”.

In anticipation of your power coming back on, please take a minute to turn off any heaters or cooking applications that may have been on when you lost power.  If you are not around when it comes back on, you may have a fire potential.

With the approach of colder weather, you may wish to move to the Red Cross Regional Shelter at the John Winthrop Middle School at 1 Winthrop Drive off of Route 80 in Deep River.

The Madison Senior Center will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 4 as a warming and charging station for citizens of all ages.  Wi-fi is available in many rooms.  Bus service will be available for those seniors who are unable to drive.

Showers are available at the Town Gym from 8 to 12 this weekend, and also at the YMCA in Westbrook.  Bring your own soap and towels.

The Town Bulky Waste Site is open from 7:30am to 5:30pm every day through next Friday.  This is where you should bring debris from your yard.  The Transfer Station in Guilford is waiving fees for residents through tomorrow.

The beaches and fields will be open this weekend, except for Garvin Point at the Surf Club.  Unfortunately, it sustained some damage.

If you have sustained damage to your property, please register with FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or www.disasterassistance.gov.

That’s it for now.  Stay safe.