Unitil Corporation, a provider of electricity and gas to customers in New England, is preparing for strong winds forecasted to impact the region late Wednesday night and throughout the daylight hours of Thursday, which may create hazardous conditions.
According to the latest forecast, light rain showers and damaging westerly wind gusts are expected this evening and into tomorrow morning. The strongest gusts will occur between 1:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., with the potential to reach 45-60 miles per hour. Frequent gusts of 35-45 miles per hour may continue throughout Thursday. Winds are expected to weaken on Friday, though lighter gusts may linger.
Unitil secured additional crews in advance of the storm and will open its Emergency Operations Centers to coordinate response efforts.
“We’ve positioned crews and resources to respond quickly to any outages or hazards caused by the forecasted high winds,” said Amanda Vicinanzo, Unitil’s External Affairs Manager. “Strong gusts can bring down trees, branches, and power lines, creating potential outages. Safety remains our top priority, and we encourage customers to stay safe and follow recommended precautions.”
We recommend our customers take the following steps ahead of the storm:
- Keep flashlights and fresh batteries on hand
- Charge mobile devices and have portable chargers ready
- Stock bottled water, non-perishable foods, and a manual can opener
- Ensure electric vehicles are fully charged
- Have a first aid kit available.
High wind gusts have the potential to damage trees and tree branches, which can in turn bring poles and wires to the ground. Always assume all downed and dangling lines are energized and stay away. Avoid wet ground or puddles near downed lines, since water conducts electricity. In addition, stay clear of all flooded and debris-laden areas because they may be hiding downed lines. Remain in a safe place and avoid driving in damaged areas to allow crews to safely restore service.
Unitil will communicate throughout the event through Public Service Announcements, our website, customer call center, and the media. We also encourage customers to follow our storm updates via Facebook and X. We will be providing real-time outage information online at 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-posting of old information without referencing a time can create confusion.
Customers experiencing outages should call 1-888-301-7700 or report online at unitil.com/report-outage.
