Springfield, Mass. (Sept. 16, 2013) – September is National Preparedness Month and WMECo is ready to respond to any damage and outages this year’s seasonal storms may bring. With the height of hurricane season upon us and the recent history of major storms hitting our region, the company is also reminding customers to be sure they’re prepared for emergencies too.

“WMECo is working to make the electric grid more resilient to storm damage, improve our storm readiness and strengthen the lines of communication with our customers,” said WMECo and NSTAR Electric President Craig Hallstrom. “As part of our year-round focus on emergency preparedness, we’re also working closely with state and local agencies to strengthen our partnerships during any emergency situation.”

Throughout the year trees are the number one cause of power outages, often tearing down electrical lines and toppling utility poles during severe weather. In an effort to lessen the damage caused by trees, WMECo is spending $2.5 million on its vegetation management program this year alone, trimming trees along 3,300 miles of its distribution system and removing trees and vines posing a direct threat to the system. But even the healthiest trees can come down in a storm so WMECo reminds everyone to be on the lookout for downed wires and to always treat them as live and dangerous. Anyone coming across a downed line should stay clear and call the company at 1-877-OK-WMECO. Customers can read more about what to do if power lines come down on WMECo’s website: Downed Power Lines.

To further improve reliability and decrease restoration time, WMECo continues to incorporate technological advancements into the grid, such as adding additional automated switches that more quickly re-route and restore power. The company is also rolling out new technology, including a mobile tablet-based outage management system to provide crews with real time outage information and assist with restoration projections and status updates. This gives the company the ability to provide customers with the most current information. WMECo is also providing town liaisons with web-based tools to improve communication with emergency personnel.

WMECo has also just unveiled its new text message service for use before, during and after a major storm. Customers and non-customers alike who sign up will receive storm updates, estimated times of power restoration, shelter location information and more. Those interested in signing up for this new service can do so at WMECo.com.

To report an outage, customers should call 877-OK-WMECo, or for up-to-date information about outages, customers can go to WMECo’s online outage map:https://www.wmeco.com/outage/outagemap.aspx.

It’s also important that families and businesses develop and rehearse an emergency plan and keep a storm kit stocked with essential supplies. For tips, visit:WMECo Disaster Supplies Kit.

Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo), a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE:NU), transmits and delivers electricity to 210,000 customers in 59 cities and towns. For more information, please visit our website: www.wmeco.com, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/WMECo) and follow us on Twitter @wmeco.

CONTACT:
Priscilla Ress
413-787-1055
priscilla.ress@nu.com
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