is responding to multiple power outages and addressing public safety issues as heavy rain and strong winds continue to affect the region.
Damage assessment is ongoing to provide an accurate estimated time of restoration for affected customers.
As of 11:30 a.m., approximately 4,800 New Hampshire customers are out of power, with 4,200 on the Seacoast, which experienced the greatest impact as the gusty winds moved through during the morning hours, and 600 in the Capital region.
At the peak of this morning’s outages, 7,500 customers were impacted throughout Unitil’s service territories.
Unitil opened its System Emergency Operations Center at 6 a.m. today to coordinate its response efforts.
Wind gusts over 50 mph have been reported in the area and the threat of high winds is expected to continue into the afternoon, which may result in additional power outages. Crews are working closely with municipal emergency first responders to assist with public safety issues, which include numerous downed wires and road closures, while restoring power to customers where possible.
“Crews have been making progress in some areas, but the conditions are challenging as downed trees and wires and broken utility poles can require significant resources and repair time,” Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara said. “We realize that this is a difficult time for a storm like this as many people are planning to be together with their families as we head into the holiday weekend, but we anticipate that restoration efforts will likely continue into Saturday. Our crews will be working around the clock to bring all customers back online as quickly as possible.”
It’s important to remember that in storms of this magnitude, response to outages can be slowed until winds subside as bucket trucks are unable to extend arms for safety reasons in high wind above 35 mph.
Unitil has secured a complement of internal and third-party crews prepared to respond as the day unfolds. All system and regional emergency operation centers have been opened in order to best coordinate response efforts.
Windy conditions have the potential to take wires to the ground. In the event of downed wires, assume all cables and wires that have fallen or are dangling are energized and stay away. Be sure to avoid wet ground or puddles near a downed line 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/outage.
