Looking at this map from CL&P, the instant interpretation is that the areas in black are the hardest hit, with 81-100% of customers losing power. And if you are among those without power, my condolences.
But, all we learn from this is how the town as a whole is affected.
Wait for the super-obvious: not all towns and cities have the same population.
To get a more accurate read on the situation, look instead at the less colorful, more boring chart that CL&P has created:
While “only” 23% of Hartford’s customers were without power as of 7:21 this morning, that works out to 13,555 customers. Compare that with Harwinton, which is 100% out of luck, but that 100% equals 2,495 customers.
Right now 726,869 CL&P customers (this does not account for family members and pets) are without power. This is a mere crimp on a lifestyle for many. Others may have serious concerns, like fallen live power lines or medical conditions which require electricity to manage, such as those with oxygen tanks. Losing the ability to watch television or play on Facebook for a few hours? Keep it in perspective.
Can we drop the competition for who has it the worst?
Cindy
I’m way out of the loop right now. Thanks for the info. A road trip may be in order for my family. We are n the heart of the blackness. School canceled til Wednesday.
Wes Rand
I understand what you’re saying but I do think percentage of homes without power tells you more about the extent of the outage rather than the raw numbers. Towns and cities with larger population are naturally going to have larger numbers of home without power. As per your example, Hartford has a much larger number of homes affected by the damage but the extent of the damage in Harwinton is much larger. Both numbers are useful but in different ways.
Kerri Provost
That was my point. This is not an either/or thing. It’s both/and.