Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is restoring power to customers as new issues arise due to high winds which continue to impact the region.
Unitil is responding to outages across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. As of approximately 3 p.m., approximately 1,300 customers are without power. Of those, approximately 800 customers are out in Central Massachusetts, with 500 on the Seacoast and none in the Capital region of New Hampshire. Outage totals are expected to fluctuate throughout the day today due to the extended duration of the wind. Unitil secured additional crew resources from as far away as Canada to aid with what is expected to be a fluid situation throughout the day today.
According to the most recent forecasts, wind gusts of 45-60 miles per hour are possible in all regions all day today and into the late evening hours. Gusts of this level have the potential to cause outages by pushing trees onto electric infrastructure and present a safety hazard for restoration efforts.
While we have restored power in some areas, new outages continue to occur as the wind persists. This back-and-forth will continue throughout the day and into the evening, as hazard conditions are likely for several more hours. Unitil was prepared for the possibility of a long duration event, and crews will continue to work until all customers are restored."
Alec O’Meara, Unitil Media Relations Manager
In the event of downed wires, assume all cables and wires that have fallen or dangle 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.
Unitil will be communicating throughout the event through Public Service Announcements (PSAs), our website, our customer call center and through the media. We also encourage customers to follow along with our storm updates via Facebook, our Twitter feed (@Unitil) and we will be providing real-time outage information online at www.unitil.com/map.
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
