While New England typically doesn’t experience the devastating hurricane impacts seen in other parts of the country, tropical storms and hurricane remnants can still bring wind damage, flooding, and power outages. With hurricane season officially underway, Unitil urges customers to review and update their emergency plans.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration predicts that New England could see 8 to 14 named storms this season, with one to three possibly becoming hurricanes with winds over 111 miles per hour. According to NOAA, New England has been impacted by 25 hurricanes since 1900.
“Fortunately, we don’t often experience devastating hurricane conditions, but when it comes to inclement weather, our maxim is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said Amanda Vicinanzo, Unitil’s external affairs manager.
Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form between June and October, and September is often the most active month.
Homeowners and businesses can prepare for major storms in advance by addressing yard drainage issues and trees or limbs that may pose a hazard. Additional steps can include installing storm shutters, securing outdoor items, learning evacuation routes, locating shelters, and making a habit of maintaining a full gas tank and updating emergency kits.
Most utilities, including Unitil, create detailed plans using the Incident Command System, a model from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that helps ensure a flexible and scalable response. Unitil also holds yearly drills to test emergency plans, secure extra crews, and practice communication with police, fire departments, local officials, and emergency responders.
“We also design unique scenarios to challenge our teams and simulate the unexpected events that can happen during real natural disasters. This helps make sure our more than 600 employees, all of whom have special storm duties during major events, are ready to respond,” added Vicinanzo.
