CL&P update, 5 p.m. Thursday:

UPDATE: As of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, there were 700 Darien residents without power, according to Acting First Selectman David Bayne. Connecticut Light & Power told Bayne that by 12 a.m. Firday there would be 100 or fewer Darienites without power.

Connecticut Light & Power has shifted its original projection to restore 99 percent of power in Darien, according to Acting First Selectman David Bayne.

The new goal, as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, is to reduce the number of Darien residents in the dark to 700 houses (about 9 percent) by the end of the day Wednesday. At 5:05 p.m., CL&P reported 2,796 Darienites were powerless.

"CL&P is cautioning that that's aggressive, but it's not unrealistic," Bayne said.

The utility company projects that 200 Darienites will still be without power as of Thursday evening, and power will be 100 percent restored by Saturday, the acting first selectman reported.

"They have 10 line crews working overnight and they're trying to get five more from Vermont, but CL&P will not commit to having them here," Bayne said. There will be 30 line crews and 21 tree crews working through the day on Thursday, he said.

The lights will likely begin turning on in the southern portion of Darien, at the main substation near Rings End Lumber on West Avenue, and then moving northward, Bayne reported. Additionally, those on the main roads, or "the backbone" of town, can expect to see their power returned before resident on side streets.

"The number [of residents without power] hasn't really changed since this morning and the reason for that is that they've been building the backbone," Bayne said. "Between approximately 7 and 10 p.m., they will flip the switch and we will see a large restoration of power throughout the town. This will probably happen beyond 10 p.m. as well."

Residents who have their power restored are not completely in the clear, though.

"Just because you get power, if it goes off for a period of time, don't be surprised. You should be getting it back on," Bayne said. The utility company may have to temporarily shut off customers' power -- for periods of up to a couple hours -- as its employees work on nearby lines.

Bayne also cautions that the fix may not be pretty at first.

"The object is to restore power, then they can tidy things up and make things picture perfect as time moves on," he said. This means crews may have to return to the area after patching up utility poles -- 15 of which are still in need of repair -- and there could be more periods of interrupted service beyond this weekend.

"I know there's been some frustration today, but that's because they're getting the backbone ready to flip the switch," Bayne said.

CL&P issued an alert to homeowners regarding damages:

"Homeowners should be aware that any damage to customer-owned equipment must be repaired by licensed, professional electricians before we can reconnect power lines to your home.

"CL&P will repair all equipment leading to your home, including a service wire and connectors. Homeowners are responsible for repairing all other equipment attached to a residence, including a clevis (house knob), weatherheads, conduits, conductors and the meter box. However you are not responsible for damage to the meter."