Editorial: Powering up from Philippe — slow going

Posted 11/2/17

Gratitude and applause to those electric linemen who climbed up amidst the wires in frightful conditions these past few days. It’s work most of us can’t imagine.

But National Grid’s …

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Editorial: Powering up from Philippe — slow going

Posted

Gratitude and applause to those electric linemen who climbed up amidst the wires in frightful conditions these past few days. It’s work most of us can’t imagine.

But National Grid’s performance raised questions and a fair amount of frustration among residents and businesses chafing to get lives back to normal.

As the storm approached, a National Grid spokesman told a television reporter that the company was mustering resources from all around to deal with the damage expected from wind gusts predicted to approach hurricane strength.

His remarks brought back memories of past storms when residents took heart from the sight of utility trucks from states far and wide, parked in rows awaiting orders.

Less so this time. Daylight broke Monday to a grim scene in Bristol, one of the harder hit towns. The town has seen far worse, but there was not a light in sight, and police cruisers kept people from the few downed wires and maintained order at lightless intersections.

The one thing missing — any sign of the National Grid legions most figured would be hard at it. And when trucks did arrive, their numbers did not overwhelm.

A visit to National Grid’s somewhat difficult to navigate online outage map did little to ease worries.

Clicking on a neighborhood — most any neighborhood — revealed that the situation is being “assessed,” that crews are “not yet assigned.”

Picking on the power company is too easy, not always fair, and rather petty in light of the suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere. But nerves are frayed and patience runs out fast.

Philippe was a formidable storm but nothing like what has come before and certainly will again. Hopefully the next ‘big one’ will bring a response to match.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.