GMP Makes Significant Restorations from Winter Storm Elliot as New Outages Continue Throughout the Day

High winds and dangerous, icy conditions pummel Vermont causing statewide damage 

• Crews have restored power to more than 39,500 homes and businesses since the storm began; more than 400 internal and contract lineworkers are working 24/7 to restore power to 43,500 customers that remain out
  
• High winds and rain continue throughout the day and could lead to flooding; temperatures will plummet this afternoon leading to flash freezing and extremely dangerous conditions into Saturday
  
• State officials ask the public not to travel after 4pm today; shelters and warming centers open
  
• Crews warn the public to stay clear of downed trees and power lines and call 911 if you see a line down; safety tips can be found on GMP’s website

COLCHESTER, Vt. – Winter Storm Elliot, a Bomb Cyclone, hit Vermont today with fiery winds leading to tens of thousands of outages in every corner of the state. Gusts in some areas to 70 miles-per-hour ripped whole trees from the ground, snapping electrical poles and causing power lines to break. Crews are out in force repairing outages, even as new outages occur. Winds have begun to die down, but several inches of rain have fallen, and temperatures are expected to plummet this afternoon causing widespread flash freezing making travel and restoration extremely dangerous and slow. GMP expects this to be a multi-day restoration effort. 

“GMP has been preparing for this storm all week, even keeping contract crews from last weekend’s Nor’easter to bolster our own teams,” said Mike Burke, GMP’s Vice President of field operations. “We have hundreds of field teams in place and will be working around the clock making steady progress to get customers back on.”

Strong winds and heavy rain began Thursday evening and continued through most of the day Friday impacting nearly every region of the state. Beginning this evening, temperatures will drop below freezing leading to black ice on the roads. GMP expects this drop in temperatures to potentially increase winds again which may cause additional outages and potentially slow progress on restorations. Safety remains a top priority given the dangerous conditions all day. State officials urged the public not to travel after 4PM when freezing conditions will occur.  

“This is a very complex and dynamic storm with multiple hazards occurring over several days, so we urge the public to follow the guidance of emergency officials and stay safe,” Burke continued. “Please access shelters and warming centers, if necessary, before freezing temperatures make travel dangerous, call 2-1-1 if you need assistance and check on neighbors and loved ones who need support.” 

For safety information, customers can visit: https://greenmountainpower.com/safety/. 

Due to extremely high volume, GMP’s app and outage center have been periodically down at times throughout the day but our technology teams have it stable now and will continue to monitor it.

Customers may report outages and get updates through GMP’s text service or app, as well as by calling 1-888-835-4672, or visiting GMP’s Outage Center at www.greenmountainpower.com.

To get the latest information on outages and restoration times, customers can sign up for text service alerts, by texting REG to 46788 or GMPVT, or signing up online at http://www.greenmountainpower.com/apps-skills/text-alerts. Customers can also download the GMP app at the App Store or Google Play Store.

About Green Mountain Power

Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 270,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective, and reliable power in Vermont. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. GMP earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list four years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).  In 2021, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) honored GMP as a nationwide leader in energy transformation, and in 2019 GMP earned the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year Award from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine.