The storms that spawned four tornadoes, a macroburst and several microbursts in Connecticut on Tuesday caused more damage to the state's electrical grid than Superstorm Sandy, according to Eversource.
Tuesday's storms brought winds up to 110 mph to the state while Sandy's winds reached 85 mph.
Nearly 1,700 utility poles were broken during Sandy. Tuesday's storms broke more than 1,800 statewide, Eversource said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
There were 288 miles of electrical wires torn down on Tuesday compared to 105 miles of wires during Sandy, Eversource said.
With the extensive damage, Eversource pushed back its deadline for full power restoration from Sunday to midnight on Monday.
The company released a statement Saturday explaining their crews are now accessing the toughest areas to reconnect in some of the towns hardest hit by Tuesday’s tornadoes and severe storms, and said, “we understand how trying it is for our customers to be without power and we truly appreciate their support and understanding throughout this power restoration.”
On Saturday night, scores of bucket trucks poured into parking lots at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain as more than 800 electrical workers from Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire arrived to join the repair effort. Those workers are spending the night in CCSU’s dormitories.
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In Oxford, where a tornado ripped trees from the ground and where 30 percent of residents remained without electricity for much of the day, lights are gradually coming back on.
Deirdre Virgalla celebrated her family home’s reconnection just in time for her son’s birthday, telling NBC Connecticut, “thank you Eversource, we’re so excited.”
Across town, Joan Cox is still waiting for Eversource crews to reach the broken pole a few hundred feet from her home. Her family relied on a generator to get through the week and is also supplying power to a neighbor.
Cox said she’s just happy her family is safe, and she’s ready to “ride it out,” as long as her generator stays online.
