BELCO In Discussion About Bringing In Crews
BELCO is in discussion with CARILEC, the organization of Caribbean electric utility companies, about bringing in additional crews to assist with anticipated additional restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo, which may strike the island this weekend.
The Bermuda Weather Service has warned that the current tropical update bulletin indicates that Hurricane Gonzalo is on a “path towards Bermuda as an intensifying hurricane later this coming week.”
The latest update from the U.S. National Hurricane Center this morning [Oct 14] said that Hurricane Gonzalo has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph [175 km/h] and is moving at 13 mph [20 km/h].
Graphic courtesy of NHC/NOAA:
“Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Gonzalo is expected to become a major hurricane today,” the NHC said.
As BELCO prepares for Gonzalo, they are still dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fay, which took down over 23 poles islandwide, and left over 27,000 without power. BELCO crews have been out pushing hard, and have brought over 23,000 customer back online thus far.
A statement this morning from BELCO said, “This morning BELCO is reporting approximately 3,775 customers remaining without power, down from 4,900 late yesterday afternoon.
“Today, BELCO crews will be focused on clearing and restoring power in the Harbour Road and Longford Hill areas. We caution that this will not result in large numbers of customers having power restored at one time.
“Each of these jobs will affect a few hundred customers. Crews are also tackling the largest remaining branch lines today; we will provide a list of those areas later this morning.
“The remaining outages all involve small branch lines and individual customers. Work to restore power to these customers will be arduous and time-consuming because of the number of poles, transformers, wires and other equipment damaged, as well as trees and other debris entangled in lines. As a result, BELCO expects that restoration work as a result of Tropical Storm Fay will continue into the weekend.
“That said, BELCO is preparing for Hurricane Gonzalo, expecting it to reach Bermuda as a major hurricane this weekend.
“BELCO is in discussion with CARILEC, the organization of Caribbean electric utility companies, about bringing in additional crews to assist with anticipated additional restoration in the aftermath of Gonzalo.
“BELCO crews continue working at a steady pace, starting work in early morning and standing down by approximately 10:30pm each night, so that they are fit to continue restoration work in the days ahead.”
For all our coverage of Tropical Storm Fay click here, for all our coverage of Hurricane Gonzalo click here, and for our live blog covering both Gonzalo and Fay click here.
To all Belco staff.
A heartfelt THANKYOU for all your hard work and dedication.
Belco, Go right ahead cause this weekend it’s gonna be all hands on deck.
I have undergound lines and yet my house has not gotten power back, everyone around me two houses down got it back day ago, but I am left like an animal with no electricity, I can’t even wash my hands or drink water, and I have had to spend like $300 or more on supplies! Why is Belco choosing to leave some people hopeless while choosing to restore others in the same neighborhood? I pay my Belco bills on time and I own shares in Belco and this is how I am treated? My house should be the easiest to fix, just get a guy to check our transformer box! What in the world, man?! You can fix poles and downed lines in our area but you can’t fix a simple box with a lid that opens? You guys fixed like 23,000 homes and its down to the dregs, so why is my simple job left to last? Nobody has even come to our lane to check our transformer since the storm! not even to look at it! I am worried Belco is not aware of us or some simple mistake and we are overlooked!
I hope its not because Belco assumes I am rich cuz some of my neighborhood is. I am so poor I struggle when i have electricity!
I know how Belco and lines work I am not stupid, and that is why I am confused as to why we are still left in the dark!
It would be interesting to see a study of which lines were restored first. I hope the stories are not true of how the priority areas were determined.
@What the Heck, funny you would mention that they think you are rich because the minute I started reading my thought was “this guy sounds like someone living high on the hog”. You poor thing, no electricity and can’t even was your hands. Give me a break!
“I know how Belco and lines work I am not stupid”
base on your post, you don’t seem to have any idea how electricity is distributed…poor shareholder…exercise your shareholders rights and call them.
No, let him suffer though it a bit longer. Sounds like he could use some “real” life lessons
Or she, of course
If thousands are still without, I doubt they hand selected you. One of the costs of having a monoply is ZERO customer control. Install some solar panels and you’ll be good to go.
Yes indeed! Merely sending a guy to fix the box is very easy and basic.
FINDING the guy to send to you during a time when all is chaotic elsewhere is NOT BLEDDY WELL EASY!
How you gonna KNOW what the problem is and what needs to be done and sit there and suffer like a fool?
Get offline and go tix it yourself.
***DISCLAIMER: Advice given strictly in accordance with the writer’s self produced description of qualifications. Results, consequences, and liabilities are the responsibility of those performing the opting to act on the advise irrespective of intent or purpose.
bring them in – bring them in
We’re all in desperate need of outside assistance from wherever we can receive it from…Please, bring them here prior to this next hurricane!
Yeah bring in the Expacts Belco …
A funny microcausm of the actual economic problems facing the island. Just substitute ex pat belco workers for companies, electricity for money, and the Hurricanes as political parties and we’re all set.
Surely they will have to advertise those jobs so Bermudians can apply and they will have to have their work permits in order before they get here right?
Shut up idiot or suffer in the dark. They are coming to help then LEAVE not stay forever, make more for the same work and steal other peoples jobs. You fools can’t even leave out your political nonsense on a hurricane article? Leave Bermuda and don’t read about it ever again but like all the others you won’t because you are getting some good perks that us LOCALS never get. Poor oppressed expat.
BELCO…JUST DO IT AND BRING THEM IN…BERMUDA IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE LICKS. THREE TIMES WORSE I FEAR!!
I would like to thank BELCO and all their hard working staff for getting the Island back to almost 100% after Sunday’s major storm. I really appreciate all the work you do.
Oops. Meant to touch like!!!!
I still have got NO POWER 3 DAYS LATER…by the time they fix Fay…the next storm will be here!! Yet BELCO is quick to lock shop if you’re late to pay on inflated rates.
Oops! @CJ. I meant like!!!!
As i read this all i’m feeling is that BELCO COST WILL GO UP!!! I mean they will have to pay for the extra staff some way….
I know they are working hard, but don’t put announcements on the radio to call 955 and then get put on some infinite loop to nothing .
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