South Portland, ME – As of 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, approximately 72,000 customers in Central Maine Power’s (CMP) service area were experiencing power outages. The outages were attributed to strong winds, forecasted to gust up to 40 MPH, which also caused trees to fall onto roads, creating hazardous conditions.

The National Weather Service issued wind advisories for parts of western and central Maine and hazardous weather outlooks for the rest of the state. Winds could reach 30 to 45 miles per hour, with the strongest gusts expected from the foothills to the Canadian border.

Cumberland County reported the highest number of outages, with 9,972 customers affected as of 10:15 a.m. Kennebec and Franklin Counties each had more than 8,000 customers without power, while Oxford County reported over 7,500 outages. Several other counties, including Androscoggin, Hancock, Lincoln, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, and York, also experienced significant outages.

CMP spokesperson Jon Breed provided an update on the situation, stating, “Line crews and tree care crews were placed on double coverage and are already deployed into the field to restore power to customers.” He added, “Strong, gusty winds are causing tree damage across our service area today, and crews are already in the field working to clean up damage and restore power.”

Residents were advised to stay indoors and avoid traveling on roads with downed trees. CMP worked diligently to address the outages and ensure the safety of the community. As of Sunday afternoon, most power outages have been restored, with only a few thousand customers still affected.

For the latest updates, customers can visit CMP’s website or follow their social media channels.