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Heavy, wet snow caused power outages and disrupted travel Monday in New Hampshire. In Rindge, roads leading to Franklin Pierce University were closed Monday night, cutting off the school from emergency services. Since then, the roads have been reopened. Student Caleb Ikkela said only three freshman dorms had their lights on until 9:00 p.m. Monday. “I know the power company was here, but it’s not resolved yet,” Ikkela said. More than 56,000 customers were without power in New Hampshire as of 6 p.m., a number that grew throughout the day. As of 10 p.m., there were 75,353 customers in the state without power. Downed trees and power lines contributed to hundreds of outages in Bedford, as well as a fire scene on Beaver Lane where a transformer caught fire, shooting flames 5-6 feet into the air.
Heavy, wet snow caused power outages and disrupted travel Monday in New Hampshire.
In Rindge, roads leading to Franklin Pierce University were closed Monday night, cutting off the school from emergency services. Since then, the roads have been reopened.
Student Caleb Ikkela said only three freshman dorms had their lights on until 9:00 p.m. Monday.
“I know the power company was here, but it’s not resolved yet,” Ikkela said.
More than 56,000 customers were without power in New Hampshire as of 6 p.m., a number that grew throughout the day. As of 10 p.m., there were 75,353 customers in the state without power.
Downed trees and power lines contributed to hundreds of outages in Bedford, as well as a fire scene on Beaver Lane where a transformer caught fire, sending flames 5 to 6 feet into the air.
“The transformers are cooled with a special oil that they keep in there that is non-conductive,” Fire Lt. Corey Fecteau said. “It overheated, shorted, and the oil caught fire.”
Hundreds of utility crews were working across the state to restore power. Liberty Utilities said it secured additional local line equipment, Unitil had equipment coming from Canada and Eversource brought in support from Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Eversource spokesman William Hinkle said there is a potential for more damage to occur overnight due to snow accumulating on the trees. He urged people to be patient as crews deal with dangerous driving conditions.
“We want to thank our customers in advance for their patience as our crews are also focused on safety as they work to repair damage and restore power,” Hinkle said.
Visit the links below to view the latest outage maps at any time. Customers without power are reminded to report outages to their utility provider at least once a day until power is restored:
Some communities were hit hard early Monday, including Merrimack, which had 3,000 customers without power, and Amherst, which had nearly 2,600 customers without power.
See up-to-date maps of power outages in New Hampshire
In Keene, several roads were closed due to downed power lines, including parts of Maple Avenue, Hurricane Road, Arch Street, Water Street, and Kennedy Drive.
Meanwhile, in Sandown, fire crews responded to Fremont Road where a live cable fell to the ground and was seen shooting sparks.
Anyone who sees downed power lines should call 911. Assume they are still live wires and do not touch or drive over them. If a line falls on your car, stay in the car until emergency crews arrive.
People are also urged to stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and anything they may have fallen on.
State fire officials urged those at home without power to use caution when using generators or alternative heat sources.
Officials said residents should only use a generator that has been properly connected to the home’s wiring by a professional.
Generators must be run outdoors and at least 10 feet away from a building, with the exhaust facing the opposite side of the house.
Improperly installed or running generators can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Anyone who suspects carbon monoxide in a home or building is urged to leave immediately and call 911 before calling the state poison center at 1-800-222-1222.
