CL&P Emergency Preparedness and Response Briefing

Monday, October 7, 2013, 3 p.m.

CL&P Ready to Respond to Wind and Locally Heavy Rain

Operational Status: Monitor

OVERVIEW

  • A line of heavy rainstorms with strong      wind gusts will be entering western Connecticut between 4 – 5 p.m. today,      tracking eastward until 8 – 9 p.m.  Average wind gusts will be in the      25 – 35 mph range, with stronger gusts of 40 – 50 mph possible.       Western parts of the state are expected to see the most impact,      including 1-1/2” of rain.  There may be some lightning with this      storm.  Rain showers could continue until approximately 2 a.m.       The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 5 p.m.      today for Litchfield County.
  • CL&P prepares for severe weather      every day and is poised to respond to any potential impacts from today’s      severe weather forecast

PLANNING

  • Employees are reminded to adjust      driving for weather conditions.  Avoid driving through standing water      in low-lying areas.  Prevent hydroplaning by slowing down when roads      are wet.  Watch for wet leaves and debris on all roadways.
Line   workers Approximately   168 CL&P crews (336 workers) plus approximately 30 contractor crews (60   workers)
Tree 293   crews (approximately 586 workers) available

LOGISTICS

  • Storm rooms across CL&P’s      territory are ready for activation, as needed.

OPERATIONS

  • CL&P’s operational status is      currently in MONITORING mode.  Conditions exist that could present a      potential risk to the electrical system in time, but currently pose no      immediate threat.
  • Ongoing work on the distribution and      transmission system is being closely managed; contingency plans are in      place in the event of unexpected outages.
  • There are currently about 500 customer      outages, some of which are due to downed trees.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

  • To report an outage, call 800-286-2000      or visit www.cl-p.com
  • Customer reminders, in the event of      outages, include: safety around downed wires and proper generator use.       For safety tips, go to www.cl-p.com.
  • For restoration updates:
    –             Visit the Storm Center at www.cl-p.com
    –             Follow us on Twitter @CTLightandPower
    –             Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ctlightandpower
    –             Text the word “outage,” followed by a space and your      zip code to 24612