For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
Contact: Thomas Higgins, Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director
(207) 992-4701 (Office)
thomas.higgins@bangormaine.gov
Crews continue to work on restoring power in Bangor following powerful rainstorm
BANGOR, Maine – Crews from Versant Power on Tuesday, Dec. 19, were continuing to work to restore power to more than 15,000 customers in Bangor following the damaging winds and heavy rain from a day earlier.
Residents and businesses without power Tuesday should be prepared for another night without electricity. The National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies this evening with an overnight low of 25 degrees F. Residents should be prepared with adequate blankets and other supplies. If you are operating a generator, make sure it’s used/installed properly, with at least 5 feet of clearance from any doors, windows or vents to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
And please check on your neighbors to make sure they’re safe.
The Parks and Recreation Center at 647 Main St. will be available today until 9 p.m. for people to charge phones and other devices. The Parks and Recreation Center will be open again Wednesday as a warming and charging station starting at 8 a.m. and will remain open until 9 p.m. Showers also are available. The public should enter through the lower entrance on the Main Street side of the building. For any further questions contact Bangor Parks and Recreation at 992-4490.
The Bangor Public Library also is open and has power. Extra tables and chairs have been set up near electrical outlets in the building so that people can work, study, charge devices and stay warm. The library is open from Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The atrium and café at the library open earlier, at 8 a.m.
Other warming centers are available at the Bangor Area Shelter at 263 Main St., which is open during daytime and nighttime hours; the Brick Church at 126 Union St. at nighttime; the Mansion Church at 96 Center St. at night; the Hope House at 179 Corporate Drive; and the Well Warming Center/Jericho Road at 146B Center St. during daytime hours.
Several intersections in the City do not have working traffic lights and motorists are asked to take it slow and proceed cautiously, treating those intersections as four-way stops. Please be courteous to other drivers.
In the meantime, anyone who experienced damaged property as a result of Monday’s storm is encouraged to call 2-1-1 to report that damage. A person calling 2-1-1 should continue to file a claim with an insurer.
The City will reevaluate needs Wednesday and provide additional updates and information on social media.
###
The City of Bangor, Maine is a service center community of 31,753 residents and is the county seat of Penobscot County. Bangor is the major commercial and cultural center for much of northern and eastern Maine. The City is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. For information on City projects and news, see www.bangormaine.gov.