Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers throughout New England, is preparing for a winter storm beginning early Wednesday morning and into Wednesday afternoon.
According to the most recent forecasts, as much as 4-8 inches of heavy, wet snow could fall with wind gusts expected in excess of 20-30 miles per hour in the Concord, New Hampshire region Wednesday, with greater accumulations possible further north. While most interruptions are for relatively short periods of times, substantial damage to the electrical system can extend the restoration period.
Unitil is prepared to deal with the impacts of the storm in all of its service territories and will open its region-specific, emergency operations center in Concord, New Hampshire as an extra precaution in order to help coordinate the additional crews brought into the system to assist with any restoration effort. The Concord emergency operations center will open at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
“Our forecasts suggest the heaviest snow totals in the region will be seen north of the Concord area. Wet, heavy snow sticks to tree limbs and can cause outages,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “Unitil is prepared to address outages, should they occur.”
Unitil is in the process of reaching out for additional resources to prepare for the arrival of this unique storm. We recommend our customers remain similarly prepared by checking and making an inventory of the following items:
- Flashlights and fresh batteries
- A battery-operated radio and clock
- Bottled water, canned foods and a manual can opener
- A list of important phone numbers and a car charger for cell phones if applicable
- A first aid kit.
Customers experiencing outages should call the following toll-free numbers:
- For the NH Seacoast Area: 800-582-7276
- For the NH Capital Area: 800-852-3339
- For Massachusetts: 888-301-7700
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.
Unitil will work quickly and efficiently to restore power in the event of a widespread outage and will have additional crews staged 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 regarding progress.
