Widespread power outages continue in R.I. following storm

Updated at 1 p.m. on Aug. 5

TENS OF THOUSANDS of customers were without power in Rhode Island Wednesday morning, following Tuesday's fast-moving storm. National Grid said it has over 750 workers in Rhode Island trying to restore power. / COURTESY NATIONAL GRID
TENS OF THOUSANDS of customers were without power in Rhode Island Wednesday morning, following Tuesday's fast-moving storm. National Grid said it has over 750 workers in Rhode Island trying to restore power. / COURTESY NATIONAL GRID

PROVIDENCE – Tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders remained without power on Wednesday, following the tropical storm that ripped through the state, downing trees and power lines.

Outages caused by Tuesday’s fast-moving storm spanned the entire state, but appeared to be most numerous in the northeast part of the state around Providence, Pawtucket and Cranston.

A spokesperson for National Grid said that the storm knocked out power to 137,000 customers at its peak. There were still 72,142 outages in Rhode Island as of noon on Wednesday.

“Crews have been working around the clock and will restore service as quickly and safely as possible as they continue the labor-intensive cleanup and restoration effort,” company spokeswoman Jennifer Bray said. “We are working to restore most of our customers by 6 p.m. Thursday, but some customers’ service interruptions will extend beyond that. Estimated times of restoration will be available online throughout the day, as the storm’s damage continues to be assessed.”

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The company has more than 750 employees in Rhode Island working to restore power.

National Grid’s outage map may be viewed online.

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