Over 160,000 customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are without power on Monday morning as a storm brings heavy rain and strong winds to the region.
MEMA reported 112,096 homes without electricity as of 10 a.m., while New Hampshire’s four main electric providers reported a total of 52,774 outages.
Similar outage reports are being seen across New England. Connecticut has more than 85,000 customers without power, resulting in dozens of school closures. Maine is reporting 53,851 outages as of 10 a.m., Rhode Island 22,220 and Vermont 5,464. Monday’s storm is expected to bring strong winds and heavy, possibly flooding rains to the region through the afternoon hours.
Already, the storm has made for a messy morning commute and is causing damage across the region. New Hampshire officials warned residents to avoid downed wires and not to drive through flooded roadways as the storm continues.
“Keep you and your family safe if you lose power,” Robert Buxton, director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in a statement. “Practice power outage safety. If you come across downed wires, stay away and call 911. Never run a generator indoors.”
“Even after the rain stops rivers will continue to crest into Tuesday, so take precautions now as no one is immune from the potential for flooding from this storm,” Gov. Chris Sununu added. “Respect barriers and stay safe by avoiding flooded roadways. Give hard working crews plenty of space to do their jobs as they restore power and clear debris from roads.”
Source: 10 Boston