As a nasty fall storm brings wind and rain to the Pine Tree State, power crews continue to monitor outages, with thousands of reported overnight into Friday.
According to a statement from Central Maine Power, the utility responded to and restored more than 21,000 outages overnight, and as of 8 a.m. reported 3,500 outages they were working on.
The number of outages has climbed throughout the day. As of 4:20 p.m., CMP reported more than 54,900 outages in 13 counties. York County had the most with nearly 15,500. Sanford had the most outages, with 2,869 customers without power.
Cumberland County came in second with more than 11,800 outages. Westbrook had the most outages in Cumberland County at 2,078.
Elsewhere in the state, Versant reported 866customers without power, with 277 of those outages reported in Sinclair Township.
According to the Associated Press, "the storm brought a gust of 72 mph (116 kph), just shy of hurricane force, to the Isle of Shoals off the Maine and New Hampshire coast, while 50 mph (80 kph) gusts hit coastal communities."
The storm will end for southern and eastern locations Friday afternoon, and finally move away from Maine altogether by Saturday morning.
CMP reminds customers to remember the following if they have lost power:
- 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.
Check back here for more updates.