Greenwich power back after tree falls

Connecticut Light & Power had restored electricity to all but four customers by early Tuesday, more than 24 hours after the 85-foot tree fell. The tree was removed by a crane and crews are re-energizing substations.

About 25,000 individuals and businesses, or nearly 90 percent of customers in the affluent New York City suburb, had been without electricity Monday afternoon.

Town officials asked businesses and residents to conserve water to help reduce the strain on Greenwich's pump stations and treatment plants.

A powerful thunderstorm raked much of Connecticut on Sunday. CP&L spokesman Frank Poirot said the tree fell on one line, and branches later knocked out a second circuit.

Without electricity, MetroNorth Railroad switched to diesel trains between Stamford and New York and advised customers to expect crowds and 30-minute delays. Electric train service resumed at about 2:30 p.m.

Werner Schweiger, president of NStar Electric, part of Northeast Utilities, the parent company of CL&P, said the power outage is a reminder of why trees should not be allowed to grow near high-voltage electric lines.

"This incident emphasizes in the most vivid way possible the widespread effects a single tree can cause on a utility's transmission rights of way," he said.