What to Know
- More than 715,000 customers remain without power on Wednesday across Connecticut after damage from Tropical Storm Isaias.
- Eversource is currently reporting more than 617,000 customers without power and asks if you are experiencing an outage to call them 800-286-2000, text 'OUT' to 23129, or report it at http://Eversource.com. People can also report outages via social media direct message.
- United Illuminating is reporting more than 104,000 outages. Customers can report outages online at https://www.uinet.com/. Neither utility has given estimated restoration times.
Cleanup is underway after Tropical Storm Isaias left widespread damage in Connecticut, killed at least one person and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in the state on Tuesday. Governor Ned Lamont said Wednesday morning that he is declaring a state of emergency for Connecticut to be able to get in additional resources to help with recovery.
Connecticut received a significant amount of the strongest winds from Tropical Storm Isaias from the southeast side of the system. Peak wind gusts reached as high as 68 mph in Bridgeport and 66 mph in New Haven.
A Naugatuck man was killed when he got out of his vehicle to try to move branches off the road and a tree fell on him, according to Naugatuck police. The man, identified as a 66-year-old Naugatuck resident, has not been publicly identified.
Public safety officials warned that more branches and wires could come down even after the storm had passed.
This is one of the largest power outage events in the state's modern history, among the ranks of the October Snowstorm, Tropical Storm Irene, Hurricane Gloria, and Hurricane Sandy.
Governor Ned Lamont is surveying damage at several locations throughout the day, included Wethersfield, Middletown and South Windsor.
Lamont said he was on the phone Wednesday morning with both Eversource and United Illuminating. With crews in the field on Wednesday, the governor said safety will be the priority today but then the focus will be on recovery.
But, Lamont said he doesn't want to promise a time frame yet for everyone to have their service back.
"It's going to take at least a few days," the governor said.
The governor said crews will be coming from across the region to assist Connecticut's utility companies in the next day or so.
"We're doing everything we can to get power up as soon as we can," Lamont said.
The governor will be meeting with the CEO of Eversource later today and plans to work with them to determine a schedule for restoration and then to "hold them to that," he said.
Power Outages Reported
Eversource and United Illuminating are both reporting significant power outages.
As of 11:15 a.m on Wednesday, Eversource is reporting more than 617,000 outages.
"We're asking our customers to prepare for multiple days without power," Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross told NBC Connecticut's Kevin Nathan. "We're working as quickly and as safely as we can, and there's a lot of damage out there and a lot of work that still needs to be done."
Gross said additional reports of damage throughout the state could still come in as Eversource teams are able to get into areas that are being cleaned up and made safe for crews.
When asked about when customers will receive a timeline for restoration, Gross said, "We're working on it. We're in full damage assessment mode right now."
The initial focus will be on restoring essential services: hospitals, first responders, and water treatment facilities. After that, the focus is on how to restore service to the greatest number of customers at a single time.
Multiple Eversource customers reported delays or challenges in reporting outages to the utility company Tuesday evening. The company confirmed that they were working to resolve issues with the online outage reporting system. Eversource is asking customers who have trouble getting through to direct message the company your address on social media, email them at customerservicectelectric@eversource.com, or call 1-800-286-2000.
Gross said Eversource has additional help onsite already, including contractors who were arranged before the storm, and crews from out of state.
"The restoration effort that is already underway is likely to last several days, and customers who are currently without service should factor that into their planning," UI said in an email to customers on Tuesday night.
Norwich Public Utilities reported just over 6,000 without power as of 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The company has not released new numbers on Wednesday.
State Parks and Campgrounds Closed
State parks, forests and campgrounds are all closed on Wednesday, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced on Twitter.
"Many of our state parks and campgrounds suffered tree damage, and remain without power as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias. State Parks and Forests, including all state campgrounds will remain closed on Wednesday, August 5th to allow for storm clean-up, and further assessment," DEEP said in the tweet.
Damage Reported Across State
Damage has been reported across Connecticut. A great number of trees have come down.
Part of a roof on an apartment complex in Wethersfield broke off, but fortunately, there were no injuries.
Several state roads remain closed on Wednesday morning. A full list can be found here.
In West Hartford, police reported 56 roads or intersections affected by downed wires and trees. Police asked the public to remain off the roads if possible.
Greenwich declared a local civil preparedness emergency and asked the public to limit travel while they worked to clean up storm damage.
Fire department crews in Westport had responded to more than 130 calls for service as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday. At one point over 94% of the town was without power, according to the fire department.
In New Haven, as of Tuesday evening, Mayor Justin Elicker said the area's Regional 911 is down. Residents are asked to call 203-781-8200 to report emergencies if you are not able to get through on 9-1-1.
PHOTOS: Tropical Storm Isaias Rips Across Connecticut
Lake Compounce Closed
Tornado Warnings and Watch Canceled
Several tornado warnings were issued in parts of the state as storm cells showed rotation up at the cloud level through Tuesday afternoon. Those warnings have since expired. All tornado watches that were previously issued have also expired.
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