Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for a significant winter storm to impact the region Saturday and into Sunday.
According to the most recent forecasts, as much as 10-18 inches of snow is possible in all regions, with higher volumes possible in the Concord, NH region. Currently, snow consistency is expected to remain dry-to-normal for the majority of the storm, though wetter snow and some mixing is possible to the south. Additional crews have been secured in advance of the storm and will be standing by Sunday, and Unitil will be prepared to further escalate its response and open its System Emergency Operations Center if conditions warrant doing so.
"Light, fluffy snow blows around and typically doesn’t stick to trees and limbs as it falls. However, small changes in temperature can have a significant effect on the overall impact, so we will be watching this storm closely as it develops during the overnight hours Saturday and into Sunday. Should the snow remain normal for our region, wind gusts at the coast and motor vehicle accidents will pose the most significant threat to the system during this event. We encourage everyone to stay off the roads during the storm’s peak hours, as travel will be very difficult."
Alec O’Meara, Unitil Media Relations Manager
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.
As snow continues to accumulate, Unitil urges customers to make sure any outdoor vents or meters are clear of snow and ice by taking the following steps:
- Remove snow and ice carefully from a meter or outdoor appliance vent carefully with a broom. Do not use a shovel as it can damage the meter.
- Avoid shoveling or plowing snow up against or covering the meter of a pipe.
- Remove icicles from overhead eaves and gutters to assure dripping water does not freeze your meter or vent pipe—Contact a qualified roofing vendor if you cannot reach the icicles yourself.
- Do not kick your gas meter in an attempt to break ice off, as this too can cause damage.
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:
- 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.
