Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, has opened its Emergency Operation Center to coordinate its response to the ongoing winter storm.
As of 8:00 AM, there are no outages for Unitil customers. Freezing rain conditions are expected to continue throughout the morning and early afternoon hours, meaning the potential for outages exists throughout the day today. Forecasts currently call for up to 0.30 inches of ice accretion in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Winds are also expected to pick up in the afternoon.
“We are closely monitoring the freezing rain potential as any accumulation of ice can weigh down tree limbs and power lines which can cause widespread outages,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “Crews are standing by ready to respond should we start to see outages.”
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.
