As per Vectren, the power outages to area homes have fallen to 13,000 homes. With the ice and snow melting crews have been able to accelerate the pace and connect more homes.

Vectren outages fall to 13,000

“This past weekend went a lot better than expected,” said spokeswoman Chase Kelley. “Conditions dramatically improved.”

She said the number of customers without power stands at 13,000, down from 20,000 Sunday and 75,000 at the peak of the outage Wednesday.

“The ice melted quickly and there were fewer (repeat outages) than we expected,” Kelley added.

Vectren had feared when the ice melted trees and limbs that were bent would snap back and cause lines to come down.

She said what the utility is encountering now are small pockets of outages, perhaps four or five homes in clusters near the University of Evansville, the East Side, the southeast Side and in Boonville.

Kelley said 1,000 people are working to restore power, more than 700 of them contract crews brought in from as far away as Wisconsin.

“We couldn’t have made it without them,” she said, noting the crews are working 16-hour days.

Vectren sends out what it calls a “bird dog,” or scout, to check an area without power and report back on what crews need to bring. “This speeds up the process,” said Kelley.

But even as line crews from Vectren and other utilities make progress throughout the area, officials said serious obstacles remain before life returns to normal.

While Vectren is confident most of its power will be restored this week, Kenergy said some of its 34,000 customers in Western Kentucky would stay that way for up to a month. Meanwhile, the Indiana National Guard locally was preparing to send Humvees into Kentucky for rescue and transportation efforts there.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/feb/02/vectren-outages-fall-13000/