Community Corner
[Updated 4:39 p.m.] Residents Still Without Power, Some Newton Streets Remain Closed
More than 500 Newton NStar customers are still without power three days after Irene blew through the city.
Three days after Irene tore through the region, a dozen streets in Newton are still partially closed and more than 500 NStar customers remain without power.
According to the city's hurricane update page, which was updated at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the following streets are still partially closed:
- Allston Street
- Central Street
- Dorset Road
- Exeter Road
- Garden Road
- Gardner Road
- Highland Street (Newtonville)
- Hinckley Road
- Holly Road
- Roslyn Road
- Whittemore Road
Although the number was down to 350 customers this morning, NStar's updated website shows 536 customers in Newton are still without power as of 4p.m. Wednesday. That is 1.35 percent of the total number of customers -- around 40,000 -- served in the city.
Find out what's happening in Newtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to its website, NStar estimates full power will be restored in the city by 10 p.m. Thursday.
Caroline Allen, a spokesperson for NStar, explained in an email Wednesday afternoon that as the power company works on restoring electricity to homes, they sometimes need to cut power to a whole circuit to make the repairs, as NStar employees cannot work on the power lines while they are live.
Find out what's happening in Newtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"In these cases, the circuit might feed 60 customers, even though only 20 were without power, so those other 40 might lose power for a few hours while we make the repair and then all will be restored," Allen said in the email.
On Monday, Mayor Setti Warren due to tree and utility pole damage caused by the storm. Power outages were spread throughout the city, Warren said, including the villages of Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Newtonville, Auburndale, Highlands, Chestnut Hill and Newton Centre.
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