Eversource says it is strategically placing over 1,000 crews throughout Massachusetts, with hundreds from out of state arriving Monday, ahead of a nor'easter that is expected to impact the region for multiple days.
The energy company is closely monitoring the weather forecast and says it's ready for the heavy, wet snow and strong winds that are expected to accompany this storm.
“We began monitoring this storm last week using several weather services and continue to closely watch its path and will adjust our plan as needed,” Eversource President of Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom said in a statement. “The heavy, wet snow and hazardous winds forecasted have the potential to bring down trees and branches onto electric lines and equipment, causing damage and power outages. The hazardous conditions can also make travel challenging for our crews, so we’re staging extra staff and equipment in our work centers across the state to ensure we’re ready to respond as quickly as possible to whatever this storm brings.”
Many parts of the state have been coasting through this winter with minimal issues when it comes to snowfall and power outages, but this approaching storm could bring some significant outages given the strong winds coupled with heavy snowfall for an extensive period of time.
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Eversource is well aware certain parts of the state may demand more attention, which is why they say they'll have crews -- from line crews to tree crews to other personnel -- working around the clock, ready to respond in all directions to any damage or outages caused by this storm.
They're asking customers in advance to be patient should the impact be significant. A lot of snow on the ground could make it difficult for crews to restore power quickly.
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"Also, when you think about those high wind gusts particularly along the coast it's just not safe for us to put our crews up in bucket truck so they might not be able to get up into the air to make those repairs to the overhead lines for several hours or there could be even more extensive time if the winds just don't die down there," said Chris McKinnon.
Eversource is asking customers to use Monday to prepare for a worst-case scenario come Monday night through Wednesday morning, remembering to charge your phones.
The energy company is also urging customers to always stay clear of downed wires, report them immediately to 911 and report any outage online at Eversource.com or by calling 800-592-2000 in Eastern Mass. 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.
