Unitil, (unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is preparing for a winter storm forecasted to impact the area throughout the day on Monday.
According to the most recent forecast, snow is expected to initially develop during the overnight hours prior to a gradual change to rain as the day progresses. As much as 3-7 inches are forecasted, with at least a portion of the snow expected to be wet and heavy. Additionally, wind gusts as high as 55-65 mph are possible in coastal areas. Such winds, should they develop, would have the potential to take down trees and tree branches, which in turn can damage electric infrastructure and cause outages.
“Both the consistency of the snow as it falls and the peak coastal winds will be key factors in how much this particular storm impacts our system,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “The high winds do have the potential to create hazardous wires down situations. Should this occur, we will be working closely with first responders in the area to address public safety issues.”
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.
"Both the consistency of the snow as it falls and the peak coastal winds will be key factors in how much this particular storm impacts our system."
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.
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 at unitil.com/report-outage.
