Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, a provider of natural gas and electricity to New England customers, is preparing for the first significant winter storm of the season to impact the region tonight and into tomorrow.
According to the most recent forecasts, as much as 5-10 inches of snow are possible in Unitil’s Concord, NH and Fitchburg, MA service areas, with at least a portion of the falling snow expected to be wet and heavy in consistency. While lesser snow totals are possible on the coast, wind gusts may approach 30-40 miles per hour. As a result, conditions in all regions have the potential to cause outages for customers. Based on current forecasts, Unitil has secured additional crews in advance of the storm and will be prepared to escalate its response if warranted.
Wet snow is heavier in weight and has a greater likelihood of sticking to tree limbs, taking them to the ground. When these otherwise healthy trees fail, they can in turn can cause damage to electric infrastructure. Should the high end of the proposed snow totals manifest, outages may occur and we are preparing for that potential.
Alec O’Meara, Unitil Media Relations Manager
We recommend our customers remain similarly prepared by checking and making an inventory of the following items:
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Flashlights and fresh batteries
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A battery-operated radio and clock
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Bottled water, canned foods and a manual can opener
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A list of important phone numbers and a car charger for cell phones if applicable
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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.
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 www.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 the following toll-free numbers:
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For the NH Seacoast Area: 1-800-582-7276
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For the NH Capital Area: 1-800-852-3339
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For Massachusetts: 1-888-301-7700
You can also report outages online at unitil.com/report-outage.
