CMP Monitoring Potential Weekend Storm

AUGUSTA, ME – October 29, 2021 – 3:30 p.m. – Central Maine Power (CMP) is actively monitoring forecasts ahead of Halloween weekend. Rain and wind are expected to enter the service territory Saturday afternoon, with rainfall and wind gusts anticipated to intensify overnight into Sunday morning. CMP is readying internal and contracted line and tree crews and ensuring resources are in place to respond should weather result in outages.

“Trees are still carrying heavy foliage and the ground is still soft throughout most of our service territory,” said Kerri Therriault, CMP Director of Electric Operations. “The combination of strong winds and heavy rain can cause trees and branches, typically outside of our approved trimming zone, to fall onto power lines, resulting in outages. We will continue to track forecasts today and throughout the weekend and will be ready to respond whenever and wherever needed.”

CMP is working closely with local and county Emergency Management officials to understand their restoration priorities and any safety concerns. Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, CMP is coordinating with state officials to ensure polling locations are supported ahead of the upcoming Tuesday election.

CMP offers storm preparation tips and a checklist on our website cmpco.com.


Safety tips in a power outage:

  • Stay away from downed lines. No line is safe to touch.
  • Turn off or unplug major appliance and sensitive electronics.
  • Never use range or outdoor stoves to heat your home.
  • If you need shelter or food, reach out to 211 for available resource.

Customers may use the CMP Mobile App to report and check the status of power outages. Visit the Apple App store or Google Play store to download for free. Additional online tools to report and monitor outages are accessible here.


If you lose service:

  • To report an outage, visit Outage Central at cmpco.com. Customers may also report an outage using CMP’s 24/7 automated phone system at 800.696.1000.
  • Keep sensitive electronic appliances such as computers, TVs and stereos plugged into a surge protector, or unplug them. They could be damaged if a power surge occurs when electricity is restored.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. For information about food safety, visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/refridg_food.html.


For customers with generators:

  • Hire a licensed electrician to install permanent generators and transfer switches.
  • Properly ground all portable generators.
  • Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator’s operating manual.
  • Never run a generator indoors, or even in an open garage.
  • If your carbon monoxide detector goes off – get out of the building immediately and call 911.
  • Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running.
  • Refer to CMP’s web page on generator safety.

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About CMP: Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., is Maine’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. Established in 1899 and based in Augusta, Maine, CMP serves approximately 636,000 customers across 346 communities in central and southern Maine. It operates approximately 23,500 miles of distribution lines and 2,900 miles of transmission lines. Over the last decade, the company has invested approximately $3.5 billion in Maine system infrastructure. In 2019, CMP was named Large Business of the Year by the Kennebec Valley United Way. For more information, visit cmpco.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $36 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 and 2020 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

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