UPDATE June 24, 4;17 p.m.: National Grid spokeswoman Darlene Masse said the problem that caused the blackout was traced to a malfunctioning relay device at the Drum Rock substation that caused a loss of power to two of the utility’s primary lines.
Warwick, RI –Warwick was among five communities struck by a power outage at about 2 p.m. Monday that cut power to 27,000 customers in the city, parts of Cranston, East Greenwich, West Warwick and Coventry for about an hour.
The blackout rendered City Hall offices dark, computers inert and cut power to several homes and businesses in the city.
National Grid spokeswoman Darlene Masse said the utility’s main focus was restoration of power, which the company managed within an hour of the outage. At about 3 p.m., she said crews were poised to restore power to all the affected customers.
Since their first focus was restoring the power, Masse said, she did not have immediate information on what caused the outage. However, she said, the problem was tracked to the Drum Rock substation on Centreville Road in Warwick. She said the entire city lost power during the outage.
Inside the City Hall Annex on Post Road, clerks worked to help the public in darkened rooms imperfectly lit by windows alone.
“I can’t even see the people when they come in, “ said Cathy Gulat in the Warwick Building Inspector’s office.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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