Unitil, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is responding to extensive outage calls in the wake of a line of severe thunderstorms.
According to the reports in the wake of the storms, strong wind gusts and a high volume of lightning strikes occurred during the event, causing a high volume of outages. At peak approximately 12,500 customers were impacted. As of 10:30 p.m., approximately 8,300 customers were without power, with a vast majority (all but 200) in New Hampshire.
Unitil has secured an additional 60 crews to assist with the restoration. While damage assessment is ongoing, Unitil is currently estimating that a majority of customers will be restored by Monday morning.
“Crews will continue to work overnight on public safety concerns with first responders and will be restoring power where possible.” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “We ask for our customers’ patience while we work to restore power in the wake of this severe storm.”
In the event of downed wires, assume all cables and wires that have fallen or dangling are energized and stay away. Be sure to avoid wet ground or puddles near a downed lined because water conducts electricity. In addition, keep away from all flooded and debris laden areas because they may be hiding downed lines. Stay in a safe place and avoid driving in damaged areas so you don’t interfere with rescue and restoration efforts.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR MEDIA: Unitil asks that when reporting outage information, outlets time stamp the information. Outage numbers change hourly and we wish to make sure the information customers receive is consistent and understandable. Re-Tweets and re-posting of old information without referencing a time can create confusion.
Customers experiencing outages should call the following toll-free numbers:
- For the NH Seacoast Area: 1-800-582-7276
- For the NH Capital Area: 1-800-852-3339
- For Massachusetts: 1-888-301-7700
You can also report outages online at www.unitil.com/report-outage.
