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NStar: Cape Power Could Take Days to Restore

NStar warns customers that it could take several days to restore power on Cape Cod, saying the blizzard caused 'Devestating Damage to Electric System'.

 

 

Though hazardous weather and driving conditions have continued to hamper power restoration efforts, NSTAR is working to assess damage to its electric system as it prepares to dispatch repair crews as soon as it is safe to do so. Due to the significant amount of work ahead, the company is warning customers of a multi-day restoration effort with lengthy power outages.

Check NStar's outage map

“This blizzard has caused devastating damage to our electric system in the southern part of our service area and we are working to push forward with our restoration effort as soon as it’s possible to do so,” said Craig Hallstrom, President of NSTAR Electric. “Before the storm hit we enlisted the aid of hundreds of outside resources and hundreds more are joining us from areas spared by this intense storm.”

NSTAR is committed to restoring power as quickly as possible, although customer and crew safety remains the top priority. The company is working to address emergency situations as they arise and has reached out to affected communities to coordinate power restoration work with road clearing efforts. NSTAR has also brought in additional heavy equipment, such as backhoes and track vehicles, to assist with access. Helicopters are on stand-by to patrol transmission line rights-of-way if necessary.

NSTAR advises customers to consider any steps necessary to protect themselves and their families as the company works day and night to restore power. Customers can get report power outages by visiting NSTAR’s storm center at www.nstar.com or by calling 1-800-592-2000.

Release from NStar

Related Topics: NSTAR, Restoration Times, and cape cod

Debbie

12:17 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

I know your doing your best a tree on main st in marstons mills has knock Down a pole nobody there working.g on it Ilive on lovells lb I have a very sick husband that need heat please try to get it running.g its been over 24hr TY

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rich

1:37 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Can u try to get the power up and running on windshore road and falmouth road the stop lights are out and there's been two car accadents there u should get power back on there before someone gets hurt bad or killed

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pam stokes

1:59 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

PleASE HELP sUNSET dRIVE AREA in Falmouth, small children everywhere, no heat...very unsafe...no one has fireplaces to stay warm! Thank you

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Elizabeth

2:06 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Phinneys lane in Centerville would be great! Have diabetic husband. No source to cook food appropriate for him. Thanks so much

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Nina Middleton

2:23 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Have you completely forgotten/abandoned the entire tri-town area (mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester) all with over 90 percent outage (mattapoisett at 99%). What is going on, prepared, where, how... Get it together, tired of seeing energy trucks at dunkin donuts, etc.

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Sam rogers

2:29 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

why is brewster so susceptible to power outages 94% of town is out? we lose power every time the wind blows above 40 mph.

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mb

3:06 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Thank you for doing the best that you can. We lived in S.FLA, and went for weeks after huricanes w/o water, power or traffic signals. We appreciate the work that your crews are doing! E.Sandwich resident

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Kiernan Boyle

3:10 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Went out for gas last night at 7pm- not one NSTAR truck anywhere . The winds were died down and I could move about easily in my truck. NSTAR says its all about safety but I call BS on this, start cutting customer payments in half this month and keep it going for everyday until restored. Start cutting bill payments and watch how fast power is back on. The big joke is that there were over 100 men in a room last night ready to go but were told not to start. NSTAR is a sham and didn't learn anything from their fines given for Irene storm. I have a generator and am fine but I really feel for those freezing at night but yet pay their bills. No excuse NSTAR you and your company should be shut down. Let National grid take over. At least they are offering timely updates to their customers. Hall storm should be put in jail. It's equivalent to a scheme. Get your act together, and to commenter on the Dunkin Donuts- so true. It really is where you see them most.

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Sean grealey

3:18 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

When are you guys going to do.work in West Harwich, 3 trucks went down Belmont rd and never stopped

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Desiree

3:42 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Really need help with getting power back on one gas asthma one has sleep Apena and I have a one year old its been days now we life tanglewood in east Falmouth and to top it off wanted to go to a hotel all of them booked up most by nstar

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jeanne dionne

3:49 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Falmouth Road near lights at Mahoney's...have seen trucks up and down 28 all day since this morning. Some towns nearby with power..Cotuit and Marstons Mills. Don't get it. In a commercially zoned area. Very cold and waiting.

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dawn

5:27 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

I know that restoration is slow going, but can NStar update for the Wareham area please. Everytown around us seems to be getting power back based on the outage map. even if it is slow going, they are getting power back!! but Wareham still remains at 93% without power. But why is nothing changing for Wareham?

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Snyder's Stoughton

7:04 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

NSTAR is a useless monopoly that has scrimped on investment in its infrastructure, failed to take preventative measures for years (like burying wires underground and trimming trees along their lines.) They made many false promises when they built a massive substation here in Stoughton. The Cape could be dark for a week, knowing their past efforts in our town. What a HORRID company. They need more fines from the AG's office.

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Margaret Carroll-Bergman

8:27 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Please refrain from using profane language.

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Joe

8:32 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Was at Dunkin' Donuts today and saw at least 20 trucks here with a bunch of guys standing around doing nothing, came back about an hour later. Still there. I'm cold, start fixing my power!

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Four Jacks

8:39 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Everyone start posting photos of NSTAR workers at Dunkin Donuts!

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Sherry

9:13 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

Saw working at cumby's just hanging out there went back by about a hour later and they were still there... I have 5 kids and 2 dogs was scared my kids weren't going to wake up it was so cold in the house live in the back neighborhood off old Barnstable rd in east falmouth hoping that nstar and it's workers help out all of us .... Soon before the cold claims lives:(

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Ed

12:40 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

NSTAR... we are tired of the excuses. Every big storm on the Cape we lose power for days, INEXCUSEABLE. It's time for Craig Hallstrom, President of NSTAR Electric to step down. It's obvious he is not qualified for the job.

Stop cutting corners and put up a system that can handle storms. I applaud the linemen who work hard in extreme conditions but you big shot executives are pathetic.

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Jim Martin

8:18 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

I cannot believe that you are saying Thursday for my power restoration This is totally unacceptable and I hope the state investigates why it is taking so long. There should be a way to reroute power. My house is at 42 degrees and when I see power less than a mile away I refuse to believe you cannot get power to here. Nice to see trucks meandering around doing nothing

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melissa

8:40 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

i have a two month old and no power, enough said.

plymouth mass

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CapecodMom

8:59 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

You know, I live on the main road, day four no electricity and what really gets me is I see nstar trucks going by my house nonstop. My feeling is if they are in their trucks in this endless array, who is actually fixing anything? When their trucks stop, they are in the cape cod mall and centerville plaza yacking. I guess if you are getting good overtime pay, why actually get things done efficiently, whats the incentive? If nstar can be taken out so easily I want to know why their infrastructure is so weak? Take the hundreds of dollars you take of mine every month and reinvest it in your equipment. I had to send my children to go stay elsewhere because I dont have 911 and today is the first time our phones got a signal, I have lost hundreds of dollars in groceries because I never expected nstars trucks would still be parked at the mall long after my driveway was shoveled and the roads were clear. Once I get my electricity back I am going to start letter writing and making phone calls, someone needs tk hold them accountable!

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CapecodMom

9:08 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

I agree lets use our power, start documenting the nstar workers dawdling, post their dunkin donut photos with time stamps all over social media, lets not let this drop, lets hold nstar accountable and after our electricity is back on lets go after them and hold them accountable!

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Heather Gentry

10:54 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

People, there are shelters open... clean off your cars & drive to your nearest one... if you can't drive there... call your local fire & rescue dept.. they will send someone for
you, your animals, health equipment, etc. If your cell phone isn't charged go to your car & charge it... please don't sit in your car for more than a few minutes without cracking a window
while you have your car running. If you have neighbors that you haven't seen any activity
from their home go check on them. This is survival time. Use that Yankee ingenuity the good Lord blessed us with & stop whining.
Heather G.
Falmouth

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Garnett Leary

1:37 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

It is not fair that you a long time getting the power back in another day. I call and ask when power will be back and they gave me a answer I don,t know. They really need to get power back right away when it goes out.

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Erin

1:58 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Nstar is doin the best they can! I have not had power since Friday night at 8pm and I have a 4 year old and a 5 year old. Yes it sucks that we have no power or heat but I am sure the crews r doin their best! Thank u Nstar workers :)

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Ed

4:47 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Erin.... the last three big storms residents lost power for days. It may be acceptable for you but not for the other 99.99% of the residents on the Cape. We are in one of the windiest section if not THE windiest section in North America. It's about time NSTAR updates it's equipment instead of paying a fortune in overtime.

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JC

8:42 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

I am really offended by all of you ignorant people out there. My husband works for NSTAR and I know, for a fact, that NSTAR workers have been working around the clock. I understand that having power is inconvenient as I lost my power also. I have three small children and my husband is out risking his life for you! He is out working when wind gusts are at 75+ miles per hour and out today working in the rain (electricity and water do not go well together). He is working 18 hours a day. There are crews from other states working around the clock. Maybe you don't see NSTAR trucks because there are other 'contractors' or companies (hired by NSTAR) driving around fixing electricity or they are on a side road that you are not driving down. NSTAR can't control if tree companies haven't gotten to trees that have fallen down, can't get to areas that are not properly plowed and can't replace poles that are set by the telephone company in certain towns (NSTAR does not set the poles in all the towns). Sometimes NSTAR has to wait for other companies before they can get started on what they need to do (hence they may not know when your power will be restored due to factors beyond their control). The lineman are out there risking their lives to get you power back. Are they not allowed to take breaks, eat dinner, eat lunch? There are more than 50 NSTAR trucks on the Cape ... How do you know they were the same trucks at DD for an hour? You should not judge until you walk in someone's shoes....

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MV

10:45 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

JC... I live in Sandwich and am on day 4 without power. My entire street is without power, we are surrounded by an entire neighborhood with now restored power. We have trees and now wires down on both ends of our street, one end completely impassable and the other end has wires down in the road held up by a small tree. It is difficult to navigate your car under the wires, especially with the addition of fog and ice on the road. I have small children, we have none of the essentials, (i.e., heat, hot water) but that is not my complaint. I am a capable person and would go to a hotel or shelter if necessary. I am also a full-time working parent and understand that your husband and fellow workers are entitled to breaks and meals. I hope that you can understand the frustration one might feel after leaving a house with no power and wires down in the street, on my commute to work both last night and this morning nonetheless,to see rows of NSTAR trucks sitting in the Cape Cod Mall parking lot. I also don't care if they are contracted workers, they all fall under the same category as far as I am concerned. None of the NSTAR customer service agents can tell you anything, I have neither seen nor heard any service trucks in my neighborhood and/or on my street. I am not an electrician, but cannot understand why power isn't going to be restored until Thurs. or Fri. with no explanation why it will take so long and having seen no workers out to assess. It's a joke.

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