Unlike Irene, This Time Transmission Lines Were Damaged

At a 6 p.m. press conference Sunday with Gov. Malloy in the state’s emergency operations center in Hartford, Connecticut Light & Power president Jeff Butler said the damage from the Saturday Nor’easter is worse than Tropical Storm Irene in September.

Butler said he received information saying five times the number of trees were damaged during this snowstorm compared to Irene.

There are CL&P customers who will be without power for a week, Butler said — but the vast majority will be back online “inside a week.”

He did not give more specifics with restoration estimates.

CL&P is bringing in an additional 450 tree and line crews from out of state to help. UI crews, who still had 19,500 customers out as of 6 p.m. Sunday, will help CL&P crews after UI brings their customers online.

United Illuminating said all of its customers should have power by Monday night.

Butler said a big difference between this storm and Irene — in this storm, heavy duty transmission lines were damaged.

Those are the power lines that feed substations. Butler said 44 transmission lines were damaged Saturday or Sunday — along with 21 substations.

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