MANCHESTER, N.H. - Feb. 28, 2010 – About 72 percent of PSNH customers affected by the wind storm have been restored since customer outages peaked Friday evening at 269,000. As of 4:15 p.m., PSNH reports that about 75,000 customers remain without power.
PSNH currently has about 600 line and tree-trimming crews on the ground working to restore power. Good weather conditions have allowed PSNH crews to make considerable progress throughout the day.
PSNH estimates that service will be restored to the majority of affected customers by the end of the day on Monday, March 1; however, some customers in areas that are especially hard-hit, remote, or hard to reach may not get power back until later in the week.
PSNH customers returning from vacation who find that their power is out are urged to report their outage to PSNH at 1-800-662-7764, so that PSNH can move as swiftly as possible to restore service. For information on shelters and other assistance, customers are encouraged to call 211.
Special Report: How Was this Storm Different?
PSNH has developed a brief report that discusses how the February 2010 wind storm compares to other storms that have impacted New Hampshire in recent history, including the December 2008 ice storm and the April 2007 “tax day” wind storm. The report includes a map of top wind gusts recorded in New Hampshire during the 2010 wind storm. To view the report, visit: http://bit.ly/NHwind2010.
Generators: Handle with Care
PSNH reminds customers that it is critical for their safety and the safety of line workers repairing the electrical system that portable generators be installed correctly. Generators must be properly ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, and should never be refueled while in operation. The following tips were provided by the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
At minimum, you must take two steps to stay safe when using a generator.
First, never install a generator inside a home or any enclosed space—even if windows are wide open.
Generator exhaust contains carbon monoxide, a poison you cannot see or smell. Using a generator indoors can kill you within minutes.
Secondly, never try to power your house wiring by plugging a portable generator into a household outlet. This can feed electricity back into the power lines—enough to electrocute a line worker, or a neighbor on the same circuit.
The safe way to connect a generator to your existing wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch.
For more generator safety tips, visit www.psnh.com/Residential/SafetyCenter/Generators.asp.
More information on power outages and storm restoration is available on the company’s website at www.psnh.com/stormsafety.
For the most recent information, please follow @psnh on Twitter: http://twitter.com/psnh. Additional information will be provided throughout the day.