About 30 Tree and Line Crews Working in Suffield Friday and More Storm News

About 13 trucks from a Louisiana power company arrived in Suffield Thursday afternoon and were at work in town shortly thereafter, helping repair downed power lines and remove debris and making Connecticut Light and Power's projection for a 99 percent power restoration by 11:59 p.m. Sunday seem more likely. 

The trucks and workers from Cleco power company in Pineville, LA travelled about 1,600 miles to Suffield. They will soon be joined by about 20 trucks and workers from Canadian public utility Hydro-Quebec.

The new arrivals will work shifts between 12 and 16 hours long and remain in the area until the majority of power is restored to town. The additional crews are using McAlister Intermediate School as a staging ground.

"We'll do what we can to get the lights back on for you," said Cleco worker Andy Guillory.

First Selectman Tom Frenaye said about 30 trucks in all will be operating in town Friday, a major improvement over the small amount of trucks seen so far this week.

The crews from Louisiana said they'll be working hard through the weekend as they want power back as well.

"We'll make sure the lights are back by Saturday so we can watch LSU beat Alabama," Guillory said.

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Suffield residents should check the wiring near and in their homes as power restoration efforts continue.

Residents who are still in the dark after power is restored to their street or general area should call Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) at 800-286-2000 or 860-947-2000 to report the outage.

Homeowners are responsible for some electrical wiring and may need a licensed electrician to replace or repair components before power can be restored. breaks down who holds responsibility for the different parts of a home's wiring.

Always be mindful of downed wires and do not get close to them, even if they appear inactive. Warn any visitors and service providers, like landscapers, visiting your home of downed wires.

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If your home has significant amounts of standing water, contact the Suffield Fire Department at 860-668-3888 and report the problem.

The main fire station at 73 Mountain Road has drinkable water available, residents just need to bring a container. Bottled water, along with Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) are also available .

West Suffield residents who get their water from West Service Corporation need to boil that water before use in cleaning, cooking and drinking until further notice.

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Frenaye praised Suffield residents for their roles, large and small, in helping others through the storm and power outage. From volunteers at the town shelter to those who have checked in on their neighbors and helped get at-risk members of the community into warm, safe places, he called their actions "impressive."

"The townspeople have been really, really good," he said.