For Bethany Resident Regaining Power Was Terrifying Ordeal

After nearly a week without power following the October nor' easter, when the lights finally come back on in area homes residents are understandably excited. For one Bethany family, however, the euphoria deteriorated rapidly when things became a lot more exciting than expected.

Litchfield Turnpike resident John Schurman lost his power early in the storm when a branch broke off a tree and took down the power line near his house. Six days later, after spending most of Thursday afternoon watching repair crews working on his street, he was thrilled when a lineman told him they were ready to test the wires; if everything looked good, Schurman would have power in a matter of minutes.

At around 7:50 p.m., CL&P energized the lines. Schurman unhooked his generator and turned his power back on. The first thing he noticed amiss was the light bulbs seemed to be burning much brighter than normal. Moments later, a bulb in his downstairs bathroom exploded. A porch light then burnt out and Schurman heard more popping sounds coming from other rooms in his house. Then his wife, Laurie, turned on the vacuum cleaner and within moments, the motor exploded out through the front of the appliance.

“Bulbs were popping, lights were glowing brighter and dimmer, my wife and son were screaming,” Schurman said. “It was like the whole house was possessed.”

He called CL&P and asked them to have a crew come back and see what the problem was. Minutes later when things grew more dangerous, he called again and was told they already had registered his complaint. He called a third time and was told that if he wanted a crew sent, he needed to call the fire department who would then contact CL&P to send someone out to his home.

Schurman called 911 and within minutes the Bethany fire department and state police arrived and told him he and his family needed to wait outside until the power company came and assessed the problem.

A CL&P crew from Middlebury showed up around 10:30 p.m., Schurman said, and took the cap off the meter to check the grounds. What they found was that neutral was running at 247 volts when it should have been at zero.

“That’s when they suspected something was wrong at the top where they had reattached the wires,” Schurman said. “One of the guys went up to cut the wire and there was a big pop.”

They soon learned that the crewman had crossed the power and the ground wires.

“In their defense,” Schurman said, “it was dark and it had to be hard to see the color coding.”

However, the damage had been done, and the power surge had destroyed two computers, two television sets, the vacuum cleaner, all plug-in clocks and radios and a Wii. Schurman said there could be more damage, but he hadn't yet checked everything in the house.

He said he had already called the CL&P claims department and filed a partial claim and was told it would take six to eight weeks before he would see any payment.

His immediate concern was to have an electrician come out to his home and check the wiring to make sure it was safe to live there, however when he called CL&P he was told they don’t do any work that requires going into the house. Schurman said he can’t afford to pay an electrician, especially since his employer has been without electricity since the storm and he had already lost a week’s pay.

“I can’t have my family stay in this house unless I know it’s safe,” he said.

CL&P Speaks

Katie Blint, a spokesperson for CL&P, said the company had worked quickly to remedy the situation as soon as they learned about it.

“We do know it was a problem with crews from out of state,” Blint said, “and we know they accidentally reversed the connections which affected outlets with polarized plugs. We responded to it immediately and corrected it.”

While it was unfortunate, Blint said, CL&P was glad no one was injured.

“We appreciate the fact that he was aware enough to call us and we could come out. Avoiding injury is our number one priority. We want power restored as quickly and safely as possible.”

Blint said the company has made sure everyone is now aware of the situation that occurred so that it does not happen again.

Meanwhile, Schurman learned that while CL&P would not supply an electrican, he could hire one that would supply an invoice and the power company would then pay them directly. An inspection of the house showed it was safe to live there, but they would need a new electrical box.

While he is relieved, Schurman said he and his family still haven't recovered from the terror of having their house become super-electrified.

“I know these guys are tired and working hard," he said, "but they really do have to check their work.”