Chainsaws were revving up Monday morning, snow plows were back at it, and town crews continued their round-the-clock work to move trees and wires from roads all over the region. The Nov. 2 storm that raked Knox, Waldo and Lincoln counties with intense ferocity headed Downeast toward Nova Scotia soon after midnight, but left in its wake a pile of damage.

Currently, 80,000 Central Maine Power accounts are without power: 20,000 in Waldo County; 19,082 in Knox County. (See below for the town-by-town breakdown)

Spokeswoman Gail Rice said there was a “tremendous amount of damage,” with several days of recovery being the current outlook.

CMP has 70 crews coming from surrounding states and Canada to assist.

Camden voters: Voting will take place at the Congregational Church, not the fire station, because of electricity issues.

In Rockland, the Maine Secretary of State is working with CMP to get power to the polling place, according to city hall.

As of 4 p.m., all other Knox County towns are ready to go with elections in their traditional locations.

The Congregational Church in Camden has opened a warming center for those without power. It is serving coffee and providing a place to stay. 

Knox County Emergency Management Agency is working on setting up an overnight shelter.

Penobscot Bay Area YMCA is open now, but their phones are down.

The nor’easter that blew in Friday evening created tragedy at sea when two men aboard the No Limits fishing boat off of Matinicus were lost as their boat sunk. The boat, with a homeport of Cushing, had gone out earlier in the day and was southwest of Matinicus when the distress call came at 1 p.m. Nov. 1.

The Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday for the men, pending further developments. The Coast Guard and Marine Patrol had searched an area of 130 nautical miles.

CMP is setting up mobile command centers in Wiscasset, Union, and Bucksport to aid in storm recovery. CMP will also re-assign crews into areas with the worst damage as they complete the restoration in other parts of the state.

 “Our focus today is to restore service on some of our major lines as we bring in additional crews and assess the damage on our system,” said Rice. “We also have people in helicopters surveying transmission lines from the air to make sure we have a complete assessment of the damage to our system.”

 “Utility officials are also sensitive to the timing of the storm response with tomorrow’s elections, and have been in communication with the Maine Secretary of State and municipal officials. Municipal officials have been encouraged to evaluate preparedness at their polling places and have contingency plans in place.” 

The storm caused much damage along the coast. 

In South Thomaston, firefighters responded to a tree taking out power lines on Pumpkin Hill Road and sending smoke into a building. They also had a structure fire at 199 Buttermilk Lane caused by a fire in the meter box, but it did not spread to the home.

Firefighters in that town along responded 25 different incidents in the town. Route 73 and Buttermilk Lane has lines down across roadway and you cant get past Buttermilk Lane towards Owls Head.

Watermans Beach Road has the most damage or trees down but the majority of the roads in town are passable, BUT, Fire Chief Bryan Calderwood adds: “they have trees hanging low. Use caution is my words for the day. Ninety percent of the town has no power.”

Similar situations apply to most other towns in the region. Camden and Rockport are still cleaning debris from roadways, and firefighters in Camden on Nov. 2 responded to 55 incidents by evening; Rockport, more than 30.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to 15 vehicle crashes, 23 vehicles off the road and numerous traffic hazard complaints.

CMP power outages as of noon: 

CMP offers the following tips to help customers during outages: 

·         During a power interruption:

o    To report a power interruption, contact CMP at 1.800.696.1000. Our telephone system automatically creates a work order and sets the stage for dispatch of crews to the outage location.

o    When using an emergency heating source, like a wood stove, fireplace, or kerosene heater, keep fuels away from the flames and be sure to ventilate properly.

o    Never use grills or camp stoves indoors — they can give off dangerous gases.

o    Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours or longer if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.

·         For customers with generators: 

o    Hire a licensed electrician to install permanent generators and transfer switches 

o    Make sure portable generators are properly grounded.

o    Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator’s operating manual.

o    Never run a generator indoors, or even in an open garage.

o    Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running.

o    Refer to CMP’s web page on generator safety: http://www.cmpco.com/UsageAndSafety/electricalsafety/GeneratorSafety/default.html

The company urges customers to use caution if they see downed lines. 
 
“Everyone should stay clear of any downed power lines or fallen trees that may be tangled in the lines,” says Rice. “All downed lines should be considered live and dangerous. Customers should leave the clean-up to our crews, who are trained and equipped to handle these situations safely.” 
 
CMP also reminds drivers to use caution when approaching utility crews. The working conditions are difficult, and the workers appreciate everyone’s consideration for their safety. 
 
Additional information on storm safety and restoration, including a town-by-town listing of outages in the CMP service area with an area map, is on CMP’s web site at www.cmpco.com.