By DOUG HARLOW
Staff Writer
 
Flood warnings and watches remain in effect this morning in areas of Kennebec, Somerset and Franklin counties as the remnants of Sandy, now classified as a post-tropical cyclone, linger throughout the region.
More rain is expected today and tonight with wind gusts of up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Gray.
Central Maine Power Co. is reporting power outages across the region, with more than 2,300 customers in the dark in Waldo County and 1,600 in Franklin County. A total of nearly 85,000 power company customers were without power as of 10 a.m.
The storm that hit New York City and New Jersey with devastating force, was not so bad in central Maine.
“It was pretty quiet overnight,” said Mike Smith, Somerset County emergency management director said this morning. “We had scattered power outages; the most at any one point was 370 — right now we’re at 120. We actually skated by pretty smoothly.”
Smith said at one point overnight downed trees in Norridgewock knocked out power for a time, but power company crews cleaned it up quickly, he said.
The city of Waterville appears to have been spared any damages from Hurricane Sandy.
“We were fortunate; we had no calls,” Public Works Director Mark Turner said just before 9 a.m. today. “We did a lot of preparation — leaf collection and cleaning storm drains. We were lucky — very lucky.”
Skowhegan Road Commissioner Greg Dore said there was no damage to report in the storm’s aftermath Tuesday morning.
“We really didn’t have anything. There were a couple trees down but it was really pretty quiet. I guess it went around us and we got lucky,” he said.
In Norridgewock, Town Manager Michelle Flewelling also said there was no damage heard of Tuesday morning.
“We are still watching the flood warnings for Somerset County, though,” she said. “There are a couple areas that could still flood but it seems that we dodged a bullet on this one.”
Madison Road Commissioner Glen Mantor also said there was no significant damage after the storm.
All was quiet in Winslow, Clinton and Pittsfield.
In Fairfield, Fire Chief Duane Bickford said that the night passed quietly.
“There was nothing at all,” he said. “We didn’t answer any storm-related calls.”
Fairfield town manager Josh Reny said that the region seems to have gotten off lightly as compared to what emergency responders were prepared for.
“I think we skated through,” he said.
In Farmington, Whittier Road survived the storm without being closed to traffic.
Emergency officials checked on the road overnight for signs that the storm had accelerated erosion on the bank of the Sandy River, which has been a threat to the heavily traveled road.
 

Copy the Story Link