A routine demolition project in Bridgeport took a wild turn Friday morning. Part of a building unexpectedly collapsed, knocking out electrical infrastructure and leaving thousands without power as high winds and stormy weather swept across Connecticut.
The chaos unfolded near Gregory Street and Myrtle Avenue. Now, people are wondering about construction safety, our aging infrastructure, and how unpredictable weather can make emergency response even trickier for cities like Bridgeport and Hartford.
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Bridgeport Demolition Leads to Power Outage
City officials said the demolition incident happened around 10:30 a.m. in a mixed-use neighborhood near Gregory Street and Myrtle Avenue.
A private company had been working on demolition at the site when part of the building just gave way in a way nobody expected.
City spokesperson Shwanna White said debris from the collapse landed right on nearby electrical equipment. The falling material brought down power lines and a United Illuminating utility pole, which set off a power outage that quickly spread through the area.
Debris Brings Down Utility Pole and Power Lines
White confirmed the debris hit with enough force to damage a utility pole and the lines above it. The worst of the damage stayed close to the demolition site, but the blackout stretched across several blocks in Bridgeport.
By 11:45 a.m., 2,186 customers in Bridgeport had lost electricity, according to United Illuminating’s outage map. That number included all outages in the city at the time, not just those caused by the demolition. Crews rushed out to check the safety of the remaining building sections and start restoring power as soon as possible.
Stormy Weather Complicates the Picture
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Strong winds and a big storm system were already rolling through Connecticut Friday morning, hitting everywhere from New Haven along the coast up through Waterbury and into Hartford.
Bridgeport officials admitted they couldn’t say for sure how many of the 2,186 outages came from the demolition versus the nasty wind and storm knocking down branches and lines elsewhere in the city.
Demolition Not Caused by Storm, Officials Stress
Even with the confusion between construction damage and weather outages, White made it clear: the building at Gregory Street and Myrtle Avenue didn’t collapse because of the storm. The partial collapse started with the demolition itself, not wind or rain.
That detail matters, especially as officials from Stamford to New London and up toward Danbury keep an eye on old buildings and active construction sites during high winds. The Bridgeport situation shows that not every structural failure during a storm is actually storm-related.
No Injuries Reported at the Scene
Despite the chaos, nobody got hurt. Workers and nearby residents made it out okay as emergency crews and utility workers secured the area.
Police and fire crews set up a perimeter around the affected intersection to keep people and cars away from downed wires and damaged equipment. Demolition stopped while safety inspections took place.
Private Demolition Under Scrutiny
A private company handled the demolition, and now officials are digging into what happened before the debris hit the power lines. While no violations have come out yet, investigators plan to look at:
Whatever they find could shape how future demolition projects get managed—not just in Bridgeport, but in other Connecticut towns like Norwalk and Meriden, where old buildings are often up for removal or redevelopment.
Wider Impact on Connecticut Communities
The Bridgeport outage hit as many Connecticut residents were already bracing for storm-related power problems. Utility crews across the state, from New Britain to shoreline towns, were on high alert with forecasts calling for winds strong enough to bring down trees and limbs onto power lines.
In Bridgeport, the mix of a demolition accident and storm-driven outages made it tough for officials to give precise numbers for each cause. Residents were reminded how quickly local infrastructure can go down—sometimes it’s a construction mistake, sometimes it’s a gust of wind, and sometimes both hit at once.
Reported on December 19, 2025
The city gave an update on the incident on Dec. 19, 2025. Restoration crews kept working while investigators tried to figure out what caused the collapse.
This whole thing is a pretty stark reminder for folks in Bridgeport and all over Connecticut. Outages can happen, especially during storm season, so it’s smart to be ready—and honestly, it’s best to steer clear of any demolition zones, especially if there are power lines hanging around.
Here is the source article for this story: Bridgeport demolition work takes out utility pole, cuts power Friday, official says
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