Reports of power outages skyrocketed to more than 26,000 on Tuesday afternoon as strong winds blew through the state.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Jodi Rell issued a statement after coordinating a state response to the massive power outages, overnight cold and wind chill temperatures.

Rell said, "We have seen steady winds of 20 - 30 miles per hour with gusts of more than 50 miles per hour. That has taken a toll on the power delivery infrastructure. Both Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating are working to get service restored as quickly as possible, but thousands of people have been without power at one point or another and some outages may last into the evening or beyond. Add to that the bitter cold and predicted wind chills tonight as low as 15 degrees below zero and there is a real danger."

Rell held a conference call on Tuesday afternoon with state social service and emergency management officials to ensure there are sufficient warm shelters as frigid temperatures are expected overnight.

Rell said, "The risk is all the greater, of course, for those unfortunate people who have no home of their own and rely on shelters. In Hartford, the state earlier this month opened the former Second Church of Christ on Lafayette Street for use by the city as an overflow shelter. Today we are working with communities and shelters around the state that may see an increase in demand as a result of the especially severe weather."

Rell directed the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to use its Internet-based communications system and the states InfoLine, 211, to coordinate information among emergency management officials.

According to the Connecticut Light & Power Web site, at 1 p.m. there were 26,635 residents without power. There has been a steady increase in winds as the day continued. At 9.a.m., CL & P reported 1,585 customers without power. That number rose to 3,587 an hour later. At noon, 4,588 residents had no power.

United Illuminating reported sharp increases in power outages as well. At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, 62 of its customers had no power. By 12:30 p.m., that number rose to more than 700.

Winds were expected to be strong all day and the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the entire state until 7 p.m.

Police have been responding to reports of trees falling, taking power lines down with them. Most of the damage is occurring in the northwest corner of the state and along the shoreline.

Officials at CL & P said 14,000 of the 26,000 without power were in Bristol and Plainville because a transmission line that feeds a substation came down in the fierce winds.

Police in Bristol opened an emergency shelter at the senior center at 240 Stafford Ave. for residents who are without heat and power.

In Plainville, there is an emergency shelter opened at the high school located at 47 Robert Holcomb Way.

Officials in Southington said an emergency shelter was opened at the Calender House located at 388 Pleasant St.

There is also a shelter open in New Britain at the senior center located at 55 Pearl St.

According to the CL & P Web site, 92 percent of the customers in Plainville were without power at 4 p.m.

Every crew that CL & P employs is currently working to help repair downed power lines, according to officials.

Police said a 52-year-old postal worker was killed when high winds knocked a tree onto her vehicle. State police said Barbara Berner of Naugatuck died at the scene Tuesday morning in Bethlehem. She was killed when high winds apparently uprooted a tree, knocking it across the cab of her truck and striking her in the head. The incident is being investigated by state police and the U.S. Postal Service.

For updates on the weather, check out our Channel 3 Early Warning Weather Web site.

For a list of power outages you can check out the Connecticut Light & Power Web site, or you can check out the United Illuminating Company Web site.