Outages Expected To Last For Days In Fairfield, Officials Say

FAIRFIELD, CT — It may be days until power is restored for Fairfield residents who lost electricity in the widespread outages during Tropical Storm Isaias.

“About 50 percent of Fairfield is currently without power,” First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said during a news conference streamed Wednesday via Facebook Live. “Many residents will be without power for a few days.”

As of about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, 12,984 United Illuminating Co. customers in Fairfield were experiencing an outage, according to the company's outage map.

Town officials expect to get service return estimates Thursday. Fairfield is working closely with UI, while the company focuses on opening roads blocked by trees and wires, according to fire Chief Denis McCarthy. More than 300 roads were closed or partially blocked immediately after the storm, and many traffic signals likely won’t be running until power is restored, police Capt. Robert Kalamaras said.

“We will continue to put pressure on UI to work quickly,” Kupchick said.

In addition to the outages, the storm resulted in injuries and property damage. Residents were asked to shelter in place during the storm, which included wind gusts up to 67 mph. First responders received about 600 storm-related calls, Kalamaras said. A tree went through the windshield of a vehicle on the Merritt Parkway, causing injuries requiring extrication, and trees fell on more than 30 houses, many of which had significant damage.

“This storm was quite serious,” Kupchick said. “There are a tremendous amount of trees down.”

Jennings Beach and Lake Mohegan were closed indefinitely due to storm damage. The town transfer station was also closed; brush can be brought to WeCare Denali at 295 One Rod Highway.

Officials asked residents using portable generators to ensure the generators are outside and properly vented. The Fairfield Fire Department responded to a number of calls overnight involving generators causing carbon monoxide problems in homes.

Fairfield was providing charging stations Wednesday in the police department lobby at 100 Reef Road and at the Fairfield Senior Center at 100 Mona Terrace. Anyone in need of meal delivery or groceries can call town social services at 203-256-3170.

For information about specific outages, visit bit.ly/39SDtig. To report an outage, call 800-722-5584 or go to uinet.com. For storm-related assistance that is not an emergency, call 203-254-4800. For storm information, visit fairfieldct.org/storm.