I thought blackouts were a California problem. Couldn't happen in CT, right?

Almost 8,000 left without power August 11, 2001

By LISETTE VELASQUEZ Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN -- Almost 8,000 New Britain homes remained without power Friday night after the week-long heat wave and excessive electrical demand ignited a transformer and underground cable wires.

Connecticut Light & Power said 7,736 city homes were impacted from the power outage that began Thursday night. About 225 homes in Berlin and Farmington were also impacted.

Late Thursday evening, residents in the Slater Road, Corbin Avenue and Carver Street area experienced a massive power outage. Service was restored after a short time.

The residents in those New Britain areas were left in the hot seat, as a result of equipment failure at a Connecticut Light & Power substation on Corbin Avenue. The equipment, already strained by the heat, was overloaded by the increased power demand.

A transformer, which allows alternative electrical currents to pass points at the same frequency, ignited and caught fire. In addition, the underground electrical cable wires malfunctioned causing an underground explosion on Clinton Street.

Thursday night New Britain, Berlin and Plainville police responded to the blackout that darkened the west end of New Britain. Some residents at Mount Pleasure neighborhood were said to had rioted, setting a Dumpster on fire and throwing rocks and bottles. Police received reports of rock-throwing and bottle-throwing, but no arrests were made.

"They were running through the street.People were yelling and screaming," said Martha Mercado, resident. "There was an accident and when the person stepped out to see the damage, the women drove off because she was so scared with everyone running crazy."

According to Anna Alfaro, senior community relation representative for Connecticut Light & Power, the transformer fire resulted in another power outage Friday at noon after.

"There has be an increase in demand of electricity that definitely contributed to the equipment failing," said Alfaro.

Maria Ortiz of the Corbin Avenue area, spent the afternoon Friday trying to keep eight children, ages 5-months to 12-years-old, cooled off through showers and self-fanning.

Ortiz, whose home is usually kept cool by two air conditioners and two fans, was baby sitting and said that her apartment had turned into an inferno in a matter of minutes.

The Human Resource Agency, 180 Clinton St., had to evacuate its summer school and day-care program as a result of the power out.

"It's such an inconvenience because most of the parents are at work and don't have alternative children care and we need to get them home," said Liz Donnellan, director."But the faculty and staff have effectively pulled together, using their own cell phone and other resources to call parents and make sure the children get home safely."

The San German International Restaurant and Getty's gas station also reaped the inconvenience of the power outage as they were limited to service customers need.

"The food is getting cold and the place is so hot people don't want to sit inside," said Juan Delageo."Our fruits and vegetable will have to be thrown out and food wasted."

Electricity-supply company Independent Services Operator (ISO) New England representative Paula Gates said the New England region has declared a power warning with the exception of the state of Maine due to the high demand in electricity.

"Normally (the region) has used 20,000 megawatts at its peek," said Gates."Due the extended hot spell .. by 11 a.m. (Friday) it was already 24,200 megawatts. One megawatts is enough power for 1,000 homes for an hour."

There are 300 power plants that supply the New England region with electricity according to Gates, but said that not all of them are normally used at one time.

However, by Friday morning almost all the plants were up and running in effort to supply homes with the reaped demand.

But 7:15 p.m. Friday most of the residents had regained power, but those who have not will not have electricity until Saturday, according to Deborah Beaushame, a spokesperson from CL&P.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2208052&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=10109&rfi=6

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), August 11, 2001