NHEC Completes Four-day Recovery Following Winter Storm Elliott

by NHEC | Dec 28, 2022 | Outage, Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – Power restoration efforts are substantially complete following Winter Storm Elliot, which at its peak left 30,000 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) in the dark.

The combined force of NHEC, contract and out-of-state line crews battled high winds and brutal cold over four days to complete one of the largest recovery efforts ever mounted by the Cooperative. Winter Storm Elliott delivered two punishing rounds of high winds on December 23, which in many locations knocked out power repeatedly to the same members. As a result, crews in the field performed more than 100,000 restorations over the course of the storm.

Elliott’s winds packed gusts over 60 miles-per-hour, bringing trees and limbs down on power lines and breaking 96 utility poles. Damage to the NHEC electrical system was sustained in more than 500 locations. Though all parts of the state were hit with outages, storm damage was heaviest in NHEC’s Meredith, Ossipee, Alton and Raymond operating districts.

As crews make the last reconnections today on land, NHEC is preparing to take to the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee to survey the extensive damage that occurred on several islands there. NHEC serves nearly 1,000 members on island properties throughout its service territory, 400 of whom are without power on the islands of Lake Winnipesaukee. An aerial assessment of the islands yesterday confirmed that at least 12 utility poles and large swaths of trees are down on Bear Island alone. After a detailed assessment of the resources necessary to repair and restore power, NHEC will create a plan to safely transport people and equipment to the islands and conduct restorations. NHEC will be communicating directly with island members to inform them of its plans to restore service.

“For our members and employees, Winter Storm Elliott was one of the most significant, challenging events in years,” said NHEC President/CEO Alyssa Clemsen Roberts. “So many factors combined to make this a difficult experience for all, from the severe winds to the bitter cold that set in after it was gone. For many members, this was the second long outage in less than a week. For our line crews, it meant two consecutive weeks of 16-hour days in brutal conditions. We are so grateful for the patience and support of our members during this restoration effort. Your many kind words and deeds are greatly appreciated by the men and women in the field, as well as the support teams that keeps them going. As with every outage of this magnitude, we will conduct an after-action review to learn from what worked well and what didn’t. By our most important standard, though, this restoration was a complete success because all crews worked safely and everyone returned home at the end of their shifts.”

While substantial restoration is complete, NHEC crews will be in the field for the next several days replacing poles and making temporary repairs permanent. NHEC will also be working with members who sustained damage to the service line and meter housing that connects to their property. If a licensed electrician has made repairs to the electric service entrance and power is ready to be restored, please call NHEC at 1-800-698-2007.

About NHEC
NHEC is a member-owned electric cooperative that serves 86,000 homes and businesses in 118 New Hampshire communities. Learn more at www.nhec.com and see pictures of storm damage on NHEC’s Facebook.

Winter Storm Elliott Updates

by NHEC | Dec 22, 2022 | Outage, Uncategorized

WEDNESDAY 12/28/22; 12 p.m.

Power restoration efforts are substantially complete following Winter Storm Elliot, which at its peak left 30,000 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) in the dark. READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE.

NHEC WISHES TO THANK ITS MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES AND ALL THE CREWS WHO HAVE ASSISTED FROM NEAR AND FAR. THANKS TO OUR MEMBERS’ PATIENCE AND SUPPORT, OUR CREWS WERE ABLE TO WORK SAFELY. THANK YOU!

TUESDAY 12/27/22; 7 p.m.

The combined force of NHEC, contract and out-of-state crews has whittled the number of members without power down to 100 by nightfall. Crews will be on duty overnight and day crews will take over at 6 a.m. to finish restoring the last outages. It’s been hard work in the field today. Restoring one or two members at a time, crews have made their way through a long list of small outages. We expect to be fully restored by tomorrow, with the exception of approximately 400 locations on the islands of Lake Winnipesauke. Storm damage is extensive on the islands, especially in areas with northwest exposure. NHEC will be communicating directly with island property owners about a plan to conduct repairs.

MONDAY 12/26/22; 9 a.m.

After more progress overnight, we’re down to 2,800 members without power this morning. Those members are concentrated in the Lakes Region and the towns surrounding our Raymond operating district, but scattered outages are still awaiting repair in more than 40 towns. These are typically small outages, many affecting just one or two members. At last count, there were still 266 outages to restore. That’s an average of about 10 members per restoration, which is a lot less than the early hours of the storm when one repair could retore power to hundreds or thousands of members.

Our crew complement in the field has doubled since the start of the storm. Thank you to the crews from Virginia, Delaware and Massachusetts, who are in the field and working. We expect significant progress today with pockets of members coming on throughout the day and overnight.

Estimated Restoration Times are being added and updated when information comes in from crews on scene. If your outage does not have an ETR, it means that a crew has not arrived yet to assess the damage and restore power. NHEC expects to have power restored to all members by Wednesday night (12/28).

SUNDAY 12/25/22; 7 p.m.

Power has been restored to more than 3,000 members today. With several larger outages expected to be restored tonight, there will be fewer than 3,000 members who remain without power by tomorrow.

An additional 30 line crews from Virginia, Delaware and Massachusetts will be joining the restoration tomorrow morning. With increasing manpower in the field, we look forward to a productive day tomorrow. In the meantime, fresh crews will be on duty tonight and will continue the restoration throughout the night.

Except for areas that remain inaccessible, NHEC expects to have power fully restored by Wednesday night (December 28). NHEC continues to update and add ETRs on its live outage map.

We want to offer special thanks to our members, lineworkers and support staff, all of whom did not have the Christmas they expected! We are grateful for your many expressions of support and will keep working around-the-clock to get the lights back on.

SUNDAY 12/25/22; 12 p.m.

Winter Storm Elliott will be one for the NHEC record book. The numbers tell the tale.

73,000: number of members restored over 48 hours, many repeatedly.
500: number of locations where damage occurred to the electrical system.
70: broken poles (and counting)

Reports and pictures of damage are still coming in and show the daunting task ahead for our crews. But it’s good working weather and additional crews are here, with more arriving from as far as Virginia. Thank you for your continued patience.

We are updating and adding ETRs on our live outage map as soon as they are available. If your outage does not have a restoration time, it means that crews have not arrived there yet to assess and repair the damage that caused it. There are dozens of small outages around the state, each of which have their own challenges. Our crews are prioritizing outages that are affecting the most people, until they finish with restoration of individual services. We expect to publish a global ETR for our system later today. This is the time when we expect to be fully restored. Most members will be coming back on well before the global ETR.

SUNDAY 12/25/22; 7 a.m.

Line and tree crews are back in the field for their second full day of power restoration efforts following Winter Storm Elliott. Approximately 6,500 NHEC members are without power this Christmas morning. That’s down from nearly 30,000 at the peak of the storm, but a look at the NHEC Outage Map shows the challenge ahead for our crews. Hundreds of smaller outages in dozens of towns await repair.

Today we will continue to focus on the largest remaining outages, which are occurring in the northern Lakes Region, communities surrounding our Raymond District, the Upper Valley and the Colebrook area. Elsewhere, other crews will begin the labor-intensive effort of restoring the many small and individual service outages that dot the map in large numbers. We will be adding/updating ETRs throughout the day on our live outage map as crews are able to assess all areas where outages remain: https://www.nhec.com/outage-dashboard/

We are thinking of our members who will be having a cold and challenging Christmas today. Please know that everyone at NHEC is with you today and working as quickly as possible to get power restored!

SATURDAY 12/24/22; 7 p.m.

NHEC and contract line crews, joined by a growing number of crews from out-of-state, have battled the cold today to restore power to more than 8,000 NHEC members since daybreak. Winter Storm Elliott delivered a morning storm yesterday, followed by an evening storm that devastated parts of the Raymond, Alton and Meredith service areas. In Meredith alone, more than 2,000 members remain out, with 84 trouble locations reported. More than 400 trouble locations have been identified systemwide. At latest count, more than 60 broken poles have been reported.

Because of the national impact of this storm, outside line crews have been particularly difficult to secure, as most utilities are retaining crews to restore power in their own states. NHEC will be welcoming additional crews tomorrow and Monday as we work to recover from this damaging storm.

Fresh line crews will be in the field tonight to continue the restoration effort and respond to electrical emergencies. Day crews will be back on at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will be working this evening to restore power to several large outages. Those outages with Estimated Restoration Times are viewable on our live outage map: https://www.nhec.com/outage-dashboard/.

We all wish we could be comfortably at home and enjoying Christmas tomorrow, but Mother Nature had other plans. From the crews in the field and all the NHEC employees who support them, please know that everyone is working hard to get power restored. Merry Christmas!

SATURDAY 12/24/22; 7 a.m.

It was a tough night in the dark for members and our crews. Power was restored to more than 7,000 members overnight, but more than 15,000 remain out following yesterday’s storm. We’ll be working all out today to get as many members back on before Christmas, however it’s likely that a significant number will not be restored until next week. We know you have one question: when is my power coming back on? Estimated Restoration Times will be posted throughout the day on our website for as many outages as possible, so that you can plan as best you can for Christmas. We know there’s no worse time for a major outage and we want to set expectations for you. This storm caused a tremendous amount of damage, much of which crews will be seeing in the daylight for the first time this morning. Thank you for your support of our crews here and in the field. Check restoration times when they become available here: https://www.nhec.com/outage-dashboard/

FRIDAY 12/23/22; 7 p.m.

Just like that, the back half of this storm has undone most of the work that line crews accomplished today. A squall line this evening packing 70 mph wind gusts, snow and severe thunderstorms has knocked out power to more than 10,000 members within 30 minutes. At the time of this update, approximately 23,000 members were without power. NHEC and contract line crews are continuing their efforts and additional line crews are on their way from out-of-state. A major challenge tonight will be the rapid drop in temperature, which will create sub-zero wind chills and hazardous icing conditions on untreated roads and surfaces. Damage from this storm is widespread and it will take time to bring service back to everyone. We are committed to working around-the-clock through the holiday weekend to get power restored. Report an outage: 1-800-343-6432.

FRIDAY 12/23/22; 3:30 p.m.

Our line crews are making great progress this afternoon. More than 10,000 members have been restored since outages peaked at 25,000 this morning, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Estimated Restoration Times have been posted on our outage map below for some of the largest remaining outages, and more will be added as crews continue to work. Further outages are possible as this storm exits the state, but we’ll stay on the job until everyone is back on. Thank you for your support of our crews, we know it’s tough to be without power and they are pushing hard to reach everyone. Please report outages to 1-800-343-6432, or report on your mobile device using the SmartHub app.

FRIDAY 12/23/22; 12:30 p.m.

Crews are taking advantage of a lull in the winds to make progress on some of the largest outages affecting members. As expected, this storm is causing significant damage to poles and wires. And now we’re bracing now for the Big Freeze, which will arrive this afternoon with plummeting temperatures and more damaging wind gusts. Road conditions will be treacherous in places this afternoon as standing water freezes to the roadway. If you can, stay off the roads and give first responders and utility crews the space they need to work. Thank you!

FRIDAY 12/23/22; 10 a.m.

Winter Storm Elliott has brought trees and limbs down on power lines in more than 200 locations across NHEC service territory. We’re approaching 20,000 members without power at this time, with plenty of wind and a brutal flash-freeze still to come this afternoon. Crews are working where and when it’s safe to do so, but conditions are deteriorating and may force them inside at times today. Unfortunately for everyone’s Christmas plans, we expect this will be a multi-day outage for many.

We will be publishing Estimated Times of Restoration (ETORs) on our website outage map when they become available. Our crews and damage assessors will need 24-48 hours to determine the scale of the damage and assign accurate ETORs. In the meantime, we encourage you to plan for an extended time without power. We know this is more than an inconvenience for our members over the holiday weekend and we’ll be working around-the-clock to restore power. Thank you for your patience and understanding! REPORT AN OUTAGE: 1-800-343-6432.

FRIDAY 12/23/22; 7 a.m.

The high winds of Winter Storm Elliott arrived overnight and by 7 a.m. had knocked out power to more than 10,000 NHEC members. Line crews will continue to work on power restoration for as long as it is safe to do so this morning. We are expecting significant damage to our electric system as this storm passes today. Please stay safe: stay inside, keep away from downed power lines and take steps now to store water if you still have power! REPORT AN OUTAGE: 1-800-343-6432.

THURSDAY 12/22/22

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is preparing for Winter Storm Elliott, which is forecast to bring heavy rain and damaging winds to the state tomorrow morning and into the Christmas weekend. Torrential rain will be followed by a rapid flash-freeze that drops temperatures more than 40 degrees in a matter of hours. Wind gusts in excess of 55 mph are expected to bring down trees and limbs on power lines.

THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD AND EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES. PREPARE NOW TO BE WITHOUT POWER, POSSIBLY FOR DAYS.

NHEC WILL NOT HAVE RESTORATION TIMES AVAILABLE FOR ALL OUTAGES WITHIN THE FIRST 24-48 HOURS OF THIS STORM. LINE CREWS WILL NOT BE SENT OUT UNTIL CONDITIONS ALLOW THEM TO WORK SAFELY.

MAKE A PLAN FOR WHEN YOU WILL LEAVE YOUR RESIDENCE AND WHERE YOU WILL GO IF CONDITIONS ARE TOO DIFFICULT.

If you decide to stay…

• Store water in your bathtub (for filling toilets) and in containers for drinking (1 gallon per person, per day).
• Stock up on water, batteries, non-perishables, paper goods and other essentials before the lights go out. Use the FEMA Checklist below as a starting point.
• Charge Everything: Keep cell phones and tablets charged. You can save batteries by turning power settings to low and turning off data. Charge devices as needed from your car.
• Find flashlights, prepare a safe source of lighting.
• Stock easy-to-heat foods and beverages to warm you from the inside out.
• Store a back-up heating device that is safe to use indoors and the fuel to power it.
• Create micro-environments to retain heat.
• Prepare your home in advance to be as energy-efficient as possible to keep the heat in and the cold out.
• Wear a hat, shoes, or slippers and dress warmly in layers.
• Stockpile blankets and warm clothing.
• NEVER use generators, camp stoves, charcoal heat indoors.

SEE MORE TIPS FROM F.E.M.A. FOR SURVIVING A WINTER POWER OUTAGE

If you decide to go…

• Alert someone of your intentions and where you’re going
• Bring any necessary medications
• Bring all pet care items
• Unplug major appliances and devices; leave an outside light switch on so you can see if power is has been restored
• Keep your pipes from freezing by shutting off the valve that allows water to come into your home. Then, open any drain valves and all faucets and let them run until the pipes are empty (it’s helpful to identify these valves in advance).

RESOURCES & OUTAGE UPDATE INFORMATION

• Report an Outage 24/7:  1-800-343-6432; or via the SmartHub app
• Live Outage Map w/Estimated Restoration times when available
• Outage Updates, Facebook, Twitter

NHEC has line and tree crews standing by to restore power as needed. We will be working as quickly and safely as possible to minimize the impact of this storm on your Christmas weekend plans. Thank you in advance for your patience and support!

After Powerful Weekend Storm, NHEC Expects Restoration by Monday

by NHEC | Dec 18, 2022 | Outage, Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH (12/18/22; 11 a.m.) – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) line crews, with help from tree and line crews across the region, have worked around-the-clock to restore power to more than 15,000 members since a damaging storm dropped more than a foot of heavy, wet snow on the state. As of 11 a.m. on Sunday, December 18, approximately 1,700 NHEC members remained without power in more than 40 towns.

With the exception of some small, scattered outages, NHEC expects to be fully restored by 10 p.m. on Monday, December 19.

Outages peaked on the NHEC system at 4 a.m. on the morning of December 17, 2022. By that time, trees and branches had caused damage to power lines in more than 200 locations, knocking out power to 16,582 members. After making good progress restoring the largest outages on Saturday, crews are spending Sunday and Monday restoring smaller taps and service lines. It’s a labor-intensive process that will continue until power is restored to all NHEC members.

“We appreciate the continued patience of our members as we deal with the aftermath of this challenging storm,” said NHEC Director of Operations Joshua Mazzei. “The damage caused by this storm was extensive and statewide. We salute the lineworkers and support teams that have worked nonstop to get the lights back on for the people we serve. Their skill and dedication have resulted in the safe restoration of power to thousands of members. We expect further progress today and remain confident that we will be substantially restored by Monday night.”

As crews work to repair damage in more than 100 locations today, Estimated Times of Restoration (ETORs) for remaining outages will be updated on the live outage map on NHEC’s website: https://www.nhec.com/outage-dashboard/