Vermont Power Outage, Shelter, and Warming Center Update

Waterbury, VT – Thousands of power customers are still without service throughout the state of Vermont. Vermont utilities report 60,444 outages as of 2:30 PM.  

Shelters and Warming centers have been established the following locations:

Shelter and Warming Centers: 

Information on shelters and warming centers are constantly updated at vem.vermont.gov. People are strongly encouraged to call ahead to local warming centers and shelters to ensure they are still open. Those in need of shelter or other personal resources can also call 211, a service of the United Way.  

Vermonters are urged to stay tuned to local radio and TV stations and internet resources for up-to-date weather information. The National Weather Service forecast site is www.weather.gov/btv or www.weather.gov/aly.  

For road conditions and closures, go to https://newengland511.org/. Motorists as strongly encouraged to limit travel after 4:00 PM due to expected adverse driving conditions, unless absolutely necessary. 

Important information for the public to remember before and during power outages: 

• Check flashlights and portable radios to ensure that they are working, and you have extra batteries. A radio is an important source of critical weather and emergency information during a storm. 
• If your water supply could be affected by a power outage (a well-water pump system), fill your bathtub and spare containers with water. Water in the bathtub should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water. Pouring a pail of water from the tub directly into the bowl can flush a toilet. 
• Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them back to normal once power is restored). During an outage, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door unnecessarily. Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours, and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-packed).
• If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended outage. 
• In order to protect against possible voltage irregularities that can occur when power is restored, you should unplug all sensitive electronic equipment, including TVs, computers, stereo, VCR, microwave oven, cordless telephone, answering machine and garage door opener. (Review the process for manually operating an electric garage door.) 

Be extra cautious when you go outside to inspect for damage after a storm outage. Downed or hanging electrical wires can be hidden by trees or debris, and could be live. Never attempt to touch or move downed lines, and keep children and pets away from them. Do not touch anything power lines are touching, such as tree branches or fences. Always assume a downed line is a live line. Call your utility company to report any outage-related problem. 

Be prepared for extended outages and check on your neighbors.

All State of Vermont offices will be closing today at 1:00pm today, please plan accordingly. 

Any towns that may need assistance during the storm are encouraged to call Vermont Emergency Management at 800-347-0488. 

For more information, the media can call the Vermont Emergency Management Public Information office at 800-347-0488. 

For weather, road, or emergency updates sent directly to your email or cell phone sign up for Vermont Alert at http://www.vtalert.gov.

Shelter and Warming Centers: https://vem.vermont.gov/news/open-shelters-and-warming-centers 

VEM on social media: www.facebook.com/vermontemergencymanagement and twitter.com/vemvt. 

Road information: https://newengland511.org/

Forecast information: www.weather.gov.btv or www.weather.gov/aly. 

Hillarie Scott

Vermont Emergency Management

45 State Dr

Waterbury, VT  05671

Cell-802-585-6546

Office- 802-241-5414

800-347-0488

Hillarie.scott@vermont.gov

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