Update: Power Crisis Enters Day Four for 258 Middletown Homes

Updated: 8:53 a.m. Wed., Aug. 31

As about 111,000 households across Rhode Island remained without power on Tuesday afternoon, about 258 Middletown households started Wednesday experiencing their fourth day without power since Hurricane Irene hit Sunday, according to the National Grid website.

No estimated time was given for complete restoration across Middletown.

In the Green End Avenue neighborhood west of Easton's Pond, National Grid was reporting that 192 customers west of Easton's Pond still had no without power and no estimated time for power restoration.

However, in driving through that neighborhood Tuesday night after dark, all lights appeared to be functioning on those streets.

Some residents were becoming frustrated on Tuesday as they saw others with power nearby and had been given no estimated time for their own power to be restored. National Grid typically provides estimated restoration times on its website but has mainly labeled outages as "assessing condition" since Sunday with no further updates.

"Unselfishly, I know (National Grid crews) are working as quickly and safely as they can," Nick Phelan Jr., a Granada Terrace resident wrote in an email early Tuesday. "It's funny to look two houses away and see lights on while we were still sitting in the dark listening to ice melt."

By Tuesday late afternoon, while away at work, he had heard that power had been restored to his home.

Progress was being seen elsewhere throughout the day, which began with nearly 300 without power in Middletown. Another 63 customers in the neighborhood off Valley Road end near West Main Road had their power restored on Tuesday.

Middletown emergency management and shelter officials have explained that National Grid's response has been slower due to work crews being distributed all over the east coast to deal with the Hurricane Irene aftermath in multiple states.

Smaller pockets of power outages affecting five or less households also are scattered throughout town in every direction.

After identifying the Aquidneck Island power outage source in Portsmouth Monday morning, National Grid made its way to Middletown by mid-afternoon on Monday.

Many residents within the largest clusters of power outages began seeing power restored around 3 p.m., triggering a series of widespread fire alarms and Middletown Fire Department runs throughout the rest of the day.

As late as Monday night, about 2,000 National Grid customers in the Mitchell's Lane neighborhood finally saw their power restored.

In the meantime, Middletown is looking at ways to help residents without power with well water if the power crisis for them continues.

"It was rough because I have a well which also meant no water or flushing," Lisa Marie Sisson wrote on Middletown Patch's Facebook page. "Thankfully filled my tub before the storm hit. Got power back (Monday night). Tomorrow is fridge/freezer cleaning day."

"About 30 percent of the residents in town depend on wells, so we're starting to work on a plan to get water to residents," Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown said on Monday.