MANCHESTER, NH – Hundreds of Eversource line, tree and service crews worked through the night after a tropical storm tore through New Hampshire causing widespread and significant damage to the company’s electric system, particularly in the western and northern parts of the state, with wind gusts reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour.
“The impact Isaias had on our electric system across our service territory is greater than Superstorm Sandy, and customers should plan for multiple days without power as our crews work to repair extensive damage. We’re down to approximately 130 customers without power in Manchester and our crews will continue working around the clock until all our customers have their power back,” said Eversource spokeswoman Kaitlyn Woods.
“Given the widespread and extensive damage from this storm, we’re still in the process of assessing damage to the electric system across our service territory. Our top priority is the safety of our customers and communities, and we’re working closely with local and public safety officials to clear roads and identify downed wires,” she said.
Operating under its COVID-19 pandemic plan and adhering to strict social distancing, hygiene and enhanced sanitation measures to safeguard the health and well-being of workers and customers, Eversource restored power to more than 110,000 customers across the state since the storm began in New Hampshire Tuesday evening. As of 11 a.m., approximately 30,000 Eversource customers remained without power as a result of the severe storm.
“This storm brought incredible damage not just to New Hampshire, but throughout New England and along the entire Eastern Seaboard,” said Eversource NH President Joe Purington. “In the midst of a sweltering summer and an ongoing pandemic, we know that being without power is an additional source of distress for our customers as they face a string of unprecedented challenges, and our dedicated employees will work around the clock until all of our customers have their power back.”
Most of the damage to Eversource’s electric system was caused by fierce winds accompanying the tropical storm that whipped through the region, bringing trees and branches down onto power lines. The energy company cautions customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. Due to the unique challenges associated with working during the pandemic and the devastating impact of Isaias along the entire East Coast, Eversource anticipates restoration of all its New Hampshire customers will take multiple days.
“More than 550 line, tree and service workers are currently repairing damage and restoring power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible, and we’ll continue to shift our crews and resources to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most,” Purington continued. “We’re grateful to our customers for their patience during these unprecedented times as we ensure the health and safety of our team and communities while working under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic.”
Eversource offers tips to help keep customers safe following severe storms like Isaias at Eversource.com. For live updates on power restoration efforts, follow Eversource on Twitter (@eversourceNH). Up-to-date information regarding outages by community is available through the Eversource outage map.
