Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for the potential of heavy rain and high overnight winds to impact all of its service territories Sunday night and into Monday.
According to the most recent forecasts, wind gusts at or approaching 35-55 miles per hour are possible throughout the region, with gusts as high as 60 mph possible on the NH seacoast. These gusts have the potential to damage tree limbs and branches, meaning the possibility for electric outages exists for this event. An additional 1.5-3.5 inches of rain are also possible, creating the potential for flooding.
Many trees still have significant foliage, and in winds of this speed leaves can act as a sail and help to pull a tree over, bringing down poles and wires. With some communities planning trick-or-treating for Sunday or Monday evening, we strongly urge all to remain alert in storm conditions and watch for downed wires."
Unitil Media Relations Manager, Alec O’Meara
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 unitil.com/report-outage.
