Crews Pre-Positioned to Respond Quickly and Safely, GMP Urging Safety for Customers
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power (GMP) is alerting customers of possible outages due to a regional winter storm forecasted to arrive in Vermont this evening, bringing heavy precipitation and high winds which will now linger possibly into Wednesday morning. Meteorologists say the storm will bring the potential for icing across much of Vermont, especially south of Route 4 with the highest amounts along the Vermont/Massachusetts border. Heavier snow amounts are expected east of Interstate 89, along with strong winds, all of which can tear down trees and power lines. GMP is positioning crews to respond as quickly and safely as possible for customers, and doubling its field force with additional out-of-state crews also joining GMP crews.
“We’ve been tracking multiple forecasts for days leading up to this storm and crews will be ready to respond as safely and quickly as possible. We want customers to be aware that outages are possible and could be for an extended duration given the multi-day storm packing a tough combination of ice, snow and strong winds,” said Mike Burke, GMP’s Chief of Field Operations.
Ice could be a major problem with this storm, according to meteorologist Roger Hill, who briefed utilities and state emergency management officials on several statewide storm preparation calls, including one this Sunday morning. As much as a half inch or more of ice accumulation is forecasted in Bennington and Windham Counties, with ice across Vermont, decreasing further north.
The ice, winds, and heavy precipitation combined with the forecasted long duration of this weather event could make travel and power restoration conditions challenging. GMP is urging safety and for customers to be prepared for the possibility of extended duration outages if the storm damage becomes widespread. Stay away from all downed lines or trees, and if you have them on your property call GMP. Be aware of hazardous road conditions. Customers can call 888-835-4672 to report outages and should call 911 for a medical emergency.
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Report outages and track restoration times in GMP’s online Outage Center.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list three years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019). GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. J.D. Power’s 2018 and 2019 rankings put GMP among top utilities for customer satisfaction. In 2019, GMP was named “One of the Best Places To Work in Vermont” by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and was the winner of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year Award.
Kristin Kelly, Green Mountain Power
(802) 318-0872
[email protected]