The latest weather forecast for parts of Connecticut calls for severe thunderstorms and heavy rain this evening. In this area the risk is considered moderate by the National Weather Service, but there does remain a chance of severe thunderstorms, strong winds heavy rainfall, with a slight chance for a tornado.
The most problematic possibility for the utility companies is strong wind.
“The rain is not as much concern as the rains when they exceed 40 mph,” said Michael West, director of communications at United Illuminating (UI). “That starts to pose some different challenges.”
West says the company has been tracking the latest forecasts with “eyes open and our ears to the ground” to see how hard the storm might hit Connecticut.
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service warns that the worst of the weather will be before 11 p.m. According to their forecast, “Some storms could be severe, with large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain” totaling up to an inch.
At Connecticut Light & Power, a spokesperson said, “It’s all hands on deck.”
“It will be a very strong, very quick-moving storm,” said Mitch Gross. “There’s potential for damage throughout the state. We’re preparing to be very busy later this evening.”
He doesn’t know the severity of the weather, but, he said, “We’re preparing all our people, all our processes, all our equipment, all our everything.”
CL&P customers can report outages by calling 800-286-2000. UI customers can call 1-800-7-CALL-UI (1-800-722-5584).
