Unitil, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for the potential for strong winds throughout the daylight hours tomorrow.
According to the most recent forecasts, frequent wind gusts of 35-45 mph are possible in all Unitil service territories during the day on Sunday. While the leaves are still off the trees at this point in the spring, these winds have the potential to damage trees and cause outages.
“We’ve seen a lot of rain over the last few days and the soil is soft, making it easier for a tree to become uprooted in this kind of windy weather.” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “We are prepared in the event of outages tomorrow and we will be watching the forecasted wind speeds closely.”
Currently, Unitil has secured additional third party crews to provide assistance at each of its regional operation centers should the need arise. While there are no current plans to open the system-wide emergency operations center, Unitil staff will continue to closely monitor the forecast and will be prepared to escalate its response regionally if warranted.
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.
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.
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
You can also report outages online at www.unitil.com/report-outage.
