MANCHESTER, N.H., (November 27, 2014) –  A significant winter storm has caused heavy and widespread damage across the State of New Hampshire this Thanksgiving, leading to power outages to a third of PSNH’s customers.  More than three hundred PSNH and contractor personnel, tree trimming crews, and others are assessing damage and working to restore critical infrastructure. The system continued to sustain damage until approximately 3:00 a.m., though progress was made overnight bringing all affected hospitals back online.

The storm brought heavy, wet snow to much of New Hampshire causing damage to trees and bringing down power lines.  Slick roads were also a factor in several car accidents that resulted in damaged poles.  Conditions are improving with the storm now moving out and temperatures in the 30s throughout the day.

Because of the nature of the damage, PSNH continues to develop an estimate for complete restoration.  PSNH thanks customers for patience and advises them to prepare for the possibility of several days without power.  Damage assessment is ongoing and downed wires could be buried under heavy snow.  Customers should never touch a downed wire and should also avoid downed tree limbs.  Generator safety is also important, as improper generator installation or use could be dangerous for both homeowners and line workers.

PSNH has requested assistance for an additional 500 line workers through our utility mutual aid system.  Crews from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Canada will be arriving throughout the day to help restoration efforts.

As restoration efforts continue, PSNH urges customers to use extra caution around downed wires and tree limbs, and when using a generator:

-Customers should never touch a downed wire and should assume any downed line is live and dangerous. Be aware that downed wires could also be buried in the snow. Downed lines should be reported to PSNH immediately at 1-800-662-7764

-Customers using generators should make sure they are installed safely for their own safety, as well as that of line workers.  A generator should only be wired directly to the house and completely isolated from the utility supply.  Otherwise, generator power could feed into the PSNH electrical system, causing unsafe conditions for line workers and neighbors.  For more safety tips, visit www.psnh.com/stormsafety.

If a customer loses power, it’s important to report the outage to PSNH by calling 1-800-662-7764 or through our website, www.psnh.com.