With the peak hours of the storm expected after midnight, outage counts are expected to continue to escalate throughout the evening as heavy, wet snow continues to fall in all service territories. Massachusetts has declared a state of emergency, and crews will be working to assist first responders in keeping the roads clear of wires and storm debris throughout the night.
“Public safety is our chief concern for the remainder of the overnight hours,” Unitil Emergency Management Director Rich Francazio said. “We expect this to be a multi-day restoration event, but we will not be able to provide a global restoration time until the storm has passed and our damage assessment is complete.”
As of 9:45 p.m. an estimated 47,061 of Unitil’s 103,000 electric customers system wide are reporting no power. Of those customers, 16,472 of Unitil’s 28,000 customers in Massachusetts are without power and 30,589 of Unitil’s 75,000 customers in New Hampshire are without power. These numbers are expected to continue to rise through the evening hours into Sunday morning as the wind picks up.
Unitil has secured approximately 300 additional crews in order to respond to storm damage. In the meantime, we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding should there be a disruption in power, and we will provide regular updates to local media outlets and via Twitter regarding progress.
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
Downed wires continue to remain a chief hazard due to the unique conditions caused by this storm. 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.
