Thanksgiving storm outages down to just under 40,000 [Video]

A Thanksgiving storm knocked out power to more than 70,000 homes and businesses across Maine.

The storm, which rolled into the state Thursday morning, brought rain throughout the day to much of southern Maine before switching to snow later in the afternoon everywhere except the immediate coastline.

More than 52,000 CMP customers were without power at 7:30 a.m. Friday, but that number dropped to under 50,000 by 9 a.m. Hardest hit is Somerset County, where more than 13,000 customers are without power. CMP reported 9,400 outages in Kennebec County, 6,700 in Androscoggin, 4,600 in Franklin, 6,700 in Oxford County and 6,300 in Penobscot County.

Source: Central Maine Power

Versant Power, which serves northern and eastern Maine, reported more than 18,000 outages Friday morning, primarily in the greater Bangor region. The utility company said crews are focused on assessing damage and making sure downed lines are safe.

On Thursday, power outages ticked up steadily throughout the afternoon as snow piled up in inland areas. There were fewer …