Hamilton,
Bermuda
Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO) Managing Director Shelly Leman today urged the public to remain vigilant as local weather forecasts have the island under a gale warning with wet and windy conditions currently impacting the island and expected to continue through the weekend.
Ms. Leman said: “Our Incident Command Structure has been enacted via our Operations Centre to ensure any required restoration is conducted efficiently and safely. With adverse weather currently impacting the island, our team is fully operational, and crews are responding to and restoring power as long as it remains safe to do so.
“As of 11:30am approximately 750 customers are experiencing outages, and our crews are actively working to restore power. BELCO’s reporting telephone line, 955, is fully operational and customers can call to report any emergencies such as pole fires or sparking or downed lines if they occur.”
Ms. Leman emphasised several critical safety measures for the public. “I urge residents to secure their properties and remove or tie down all loose items in yards including furniture, toys, trash cans, and gardening equipment that could become airbourne projectiles during high winds and potentially contact BELCO’s overhead wires. As an example, last weekend an unsecured trampoline became airbourne and caused a prolonged outage impacting customers in the Dolly’s Bay area of St. David’s due to the damage sustained to overhead infrastructure. Customers are also reminded to unplug sensitive equipment and electronics if affected by a power outage.”
She added: “If BELCO has a road blocked off with cones or barricades, I ask that you please do not attempt to bypass them. These barriers identify critical working zones and are set out to protect both the public and our crews working in hazardous conditions.”
BELCO will be providing regular updates throughout the weekend on the Company’s social media channels including Facebook (@BELCOBermuda), Instagram (@belcobermuda), and X (@BELCOBermuda).
“We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as our crews work to maintain service and restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” Ms. Leman concluded. “Please stay safe and follow official weather advisories.”