Maine power outages affect thousands due to high winds

Strong wind gusts across Maine have caused power outages for approximately 8,200 homes as of Thursday afternoon. The winds, which reached gusts of 30 to 40 mph in several areas, included a 43-mph gust recorded in Augusta.

York County has been the most heavily impacted region with over 3,000 reported outages. Kennebec and Sagadahoc counties have also seen significant disruptions, each reporting more than 1,000 customers without electricity.

Utility crews face difficulties in restoring service because bucket trucks cannot safely operate when wind gusts exceed 30 mph. While temperatures remained warm during the afternoon, cooler conditions are expected overnight.