Updated at 10:35 a.m.
Around 70,000 people were without power on Saturday morning, according to Central Maine Power’s outages map.
According to CMP spokesperson Jon Breed, crews were prepared for the winds and have been deployed across the coverage area to start repairs. Some repairs to lines may be delayed, as crews can’t use truck lifts until wind speeds fall under 30 mph.
As of around 10:35 a.m., the majority of the outages were in Cumberland, Kennebec and Franklin counties. According to CMP’s outage map, the three counties have nearly 10,000 outages each.
Outage numbers continue to fluctuate. As of 10:35 a.m., 71,345 residences in CMP’s coverage area were left without power.
At around 10:35 a.m., Versant Power was reporting 10,824 outages in its service area. The outages are attributed to high winds, and restoration efforts are underway.
CMP was not aware of any fires caused by fallen tree limbs, but warn people to avoid downed lines because they can cause serious injury.
According to the National Weather Service many communities throughout the state could experience wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour on Saturday. A high wind alert is in place until at least 12 p.m.
Numerous fire departments across the state issued announcements that burn permits were canceled today due to the high winds.
The fire and rescue department in Bridgton noted that there were numerous trees down in the area, and road closures should be expected.
Further details were not immediately available.
