BERLIN, CT – Heavy rain and high winds are in the forecast heading into the Christmas holiday weekend, and Eversource is closely monitoring weather updates and planning accordingly.
The combination of soaking rain and strong winds can more easily bring down trees and limbs onto power lines and equipment causing outages. The energy company’s line and tree crews are preparing equipment and vehicles so they can quickly respond when and where they are needed.
Eversource is also bringing in hundreds of outside crews in addition to the regular complement of contractors to assist with restoring power if needed.
Eversource is collaborating with leaders in all of the communities it serves and will activate its Municipal Hub to ensure close coordination during and after the storm. The hub allows community leaders to report blocked roads and outages at facilities critical to the energy company.
“We recognize the timing of this storm, right before Christmas, is less than ideal and we’re taking all necessary actions now so our team is ready to respond to whatever this storm may bring,” said Steve Sullivan, president of Eversource Connecticut.
“We’ll have crews prepositioned at our work centers throughout the state before the storm hits, so they can immediately get to any damage locations and restore power as quickly as possible,” he said. “Our employees who work in the field and behind the scenes are ready to give up their holiday time off to ensure our customers can enjoy their Christmas weekend.”
Storm preparedness
Customers are encouraged to prepare for the storm by assembling or restocking a storm kit including essentials like flashlights, batteries, water, nonperishable foods, pet food and essentials and any needed medications. In addition, make sure cell phones and devices are fully charged, create an emergency plan with family members and prepare to check on elderly neighbors and friends.
Eversource reminds customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. Be sure to report any outage online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-286-2000.
Customers who signed up for the company’s two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen.
As this storm is expected to deliver heavy rains, Eversource also reminds customers flooding can cause damage to a home furnace or other natural gas appliances and some natural gas heating systems may be affected in the event of a power interruption.
If flooding is severe, natural gas appliances should not be used until inspected by a licensed plumber or contractor. Once that is completed, Eversource can turn gas service back on and safely relight appliances.
Additional preparedness tips can be found at the Storm Preparedness section at Eversource.com.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
