Wind-related outage affects estimated 23,000 northern Maine customers

5 years ago

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The high winds that swept through the state over the weekend knocked out power to between 23,000 and 25,000 customers in northern Maine, according to Emera Maine. 

“We have estimated that 23,000 to 25,000 customers in the Maine Public District were affected by the winds Saturday night and Sunday morning,” said Emera Maine spokesperson Judy Long.

High winds with gusts of more than 50 miles per hour spread through Maine Saturday and Sunday Nov. 3-4, leaving as many as 80,000 customers without power across the state during the peak of the wind event.

Emera Maine serves about 159,000 electricity customers in northern and eastern Maine.

As of Monday, Long said that Emera was still analyzing the exact number of customers who were affected across its service area.

The Aroostook County communities most affected by the outages included Limestone, Caribou, Ashland, Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, Mars Hill, Houlton and Sherman as well as the northern Penobscot County town of Patten, Long said.

Most Aroostook County customers had power restored in the early morning hours Nov. 4, she said.

By the end of Sunday, there were less than 50 customers without power and all in The County had electricity again by end of day Monday.