Unitil Corporation, (unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for the potential for gusty winds later today.
According to the most recent forecasts, prolonged wind gusts of 35-45 mph with peak gusts of 50 mph are possible today and into tonight. With leaves still on the trees in some areas, these winds have the potential to cause scattered outages and Unitil is prepared to address issues, should they occur. .
"We are extremely mindful that early voting is occurring in many areas, and we want to help ensure a smooth process as election activity enters its closing hours today and tomorrow. Our crews will be standing by and ready to work with first responders as the winds pick up later today," said Media Relations Manager Alec O'Meara.
In light of the ongoing concerns regarding COVID 19, Unitil proactively secured additional third party crews to bolster resources. Unitil will continue to monitor the forecast and is prepared to escalate its response further if conditions warrant doing so.
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.
The windy conditions have the potential to take wires to the ground. 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.
"Our crews will be standing by and ready to work with first responders as the winds pick up later today."
Alec O'Meara, Media Relations Manager
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 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 1-888-301-7700. You can also report outages online here.
