UPDATE 5 P.M.—As of 5 p.m. there are 250 Eversource customers reported to be experiencing outages. Some Wilton customers have received messages from Eversource estimating that power will not be restored until 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26.
Citing “wind gusts up to 75 mph in some areas and torrential rains,” Eversource said there was widespread damage from last night’s storm, which interrupted electric service to more than 89,500 Eversource customers.
Eversource also asked for customer patience on Facebook from those without power:
“We’ve restored power to 50,000+ customers since the storm began and continue to work non-stop with help from crews in neighboring states clearing blocked roads, addressing downed power lines damaged by trees and limbs, and working relentlessly to restore customers’ power as soon as possible. At many of the locations we send our crews, they’re facing significant challenges before they can make the necessary repairs. So please know if you don’t see a crew working in your neighborhood right now, they’re working in the hardest hit areas first. We realize being without power for any length of time is difficult, and we assure everyone that we will remain focused on the task at hand until we’ve restored service to all of those affected.”
The company said its crews from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as contractors from New York and Pennsylvania, will soon be assisting with the restoration effort in Connecticut.
In a statement, Eversource said the company’s early focus is on clearing blocked roads, making downed wires safe and restoring the largest areas of outages. After assessing the widespread and vast destruction to the electric system, Eversource expects to have power restored for a majority of customers by 11:30pm Friday night. “The company restores outages affecting the largest number of customers first, so outages that affect a smaller number of customers may take longer, as they are oftentimes more labor-intensive.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Due to last night’s thunderstorm and severe wind, reports of numerous trees and wires down as well as closed roads across Wilton have come in, with Wilton Police closing several roads.
As of 6 a.m. Thursday morning the Wilton Police Department had issued the following alert:
“Due to severe wind the following roads are closed for trees and wires down:
- Route 33 (Ridgefield Road) between Drum Hill Road and Stewart lane.
- Mountain Road at intersection with Indian Hill Road
- Whipstick Road near Pelham Lane
- Blue Ridge Road near Rolling Ridge Road
- Pipers Hill Road near #81 Pipers Hill Road.
Please avoid these areas and should you come across another downed tree or wire, please call Wilton Police at 203-834-6260. Remember to STAY AWAY from all downed wires!!
Thank you for your cooperation.”
In addition, we took the picture above on Old Wagon Rd. near the intersection with Skunk Ln..
School Opens On Time
Despite road closures, Wilton Public Schools are operating as usual today, with schools opening on time. Several neighboring towns’ school districts opted otherwise, with Westport, New Canaan and Ridgefield closing schools today, and Weston calling a 2-hour delayed opening.
Power Outages
As of 8:30 a.m. Eversource is reporting 460 customers in Wilton (6-percent) were without power. To report an emergency or power outage to Eversource, call 800.286.2000.