GMP Crews Make Tremendous Progress Following Damaging Winds From Tropical Storm Isaias
Power Restored to More Than 36,000 Customers, Fewer Than 2,300 To Go
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power (GMP) crews worked through the night to get the lights back on for more than 36,000 customers after Tropical Storm Isaias slammed Vermont with strong winds and heavy rain late Tuesday. Winds of 50MPH were the biggest problem, tearing down trees and power lines. Most of the damage was concentrated in the southern part of the state, from Bennington to Brattleboro and north along the eastern side of Vermont up through the Upper Valley area north of White River.
“As our crews continue to restore power, we want customers to be safe and stay away from downed lines and trees. It is tempting to get out and start clearing damage, but it is not safe. Call us,” said Mike Burke, GMP’s Chief of Field Operations. “Crews had to spend time clearing branches, trees and downed lines just to make roads safe to travel last night, before they could start power restoration work in many locations. The winds were strong as the storm reached Vermont,” he said.
Damage from Isaias is regionwide. Across New England, more than one million customers were without power this morning. In Vermont, the downed lines and trees created hundreds of individual breaks in the power system, and GMP has extra crews adding to their own field force. Due to the extent of the damage, restoration in some of the hardest hit places could take until tomorrow.
GMP crews are following extra health and safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and GMP is also encouraging customers to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from crews, following CDC social distancing guidelines. Call GMP for assistance at (888) 835-4672 and call 911 for a medical emergency.
Customers can report outages and track restoration times online, through the GMP app, or by calling (888) 835-4672.
Kristin Kelly, Green Mountain Power
(802) 318-0872
[email protected]
As our crews continue to restore power, we want customers to be safe and stay away from downed lines and trees. It is tempting to get out and start clearing damage, but it is not safe. Call us.
Mike Burke, GMP Chief of Field Operations