Heavy winds and snow knocked power out on the south campus loop on April 9. The power went out at around 10:30 p.m. that evening and was restored by 8:30 a.m. the following day.

Manager of Corporate Communications for Central Maine Power Catharine Hartnett said in a phone interview with the Orient that about 260,000 customers across the state lost power. The snowfall ranged from a few inches in the Portland area to upwards of 20 inches in northern Maine.

According to Hartnett, over 400 support crews from in and out of the state worked to restore power.

She added that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic contributed to the urgency of the repairs, with crews focusing first on clearing the downed trees and power lines to ensure safe transport to local hospitals, nursing homes and essential food distribution centers.

Hartnett explained that line workers also had to contend with social distancing measures, which meant workers could neither stand next to each other nor travel to sites in the same trucks.

Bowdoin’s Interim Director of Facilities Operations and Maintenance Jeff Tuttle wrote in an email to the Orient that Bowdoin’s generators restored power without issue. He added that other than a few roof and basement leaks as well as fallen branches, the campus avoided any significant damage.