More than 1,000 line and tree crews working through challenging conditions, energy company bringing in extra crews from Connecticut and New Hampshire to support hardest-hit areas

BOSTON, Mass. (Jan. 29, 2022) – As a powerful nor’easter continues to batter parts of Massachusetts with damaging wind and heavy snow, Eversource has strategically dispatched more than 1,000 line and tree crews to restore power outages caused by the storm and expects additional crews to arrive from Connecticut and New Hampshire to support ongoing restoration efforts. The energy company is warning hazardous wind gusts will persist into the evening and could cause additional system damage.

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, Eversource crews have restored power to 161,000 customers, including some who had lost power more than once, and will continue its around-the-clock effort until all remaining 102,000 and any additional customers who may lose power are restored.

“We are still in the thick of a major storm that has created blizzard conditions in parts of our area, and despite those difficult conditions in the field, our crews continue restoring power and making system repairs when it is safe to do so, while our remote system operators use distribution automation technology like smart switches to isolate outages and reroute power to customers,” said Eversource Vice President for Electric Field Operations Bill Ritchie. “The strong winds can prevent our crews from going up in the bucket to make repairs, and hazardous road conditions are slowing our access to trouble spots. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we focus on maintaining safety, and we will not stop until every last customer has been restored.”

Eversource is also reminding customers to keep safety top of mind for the duration of the storm and cleanup. Customers who rely on generators should operate it outdoors, as far away from the home as possible, and away from any air vents, windows and doors. Additionally, customers should be aware of any weakened tree limbs that could fall, and should stay clear of downed wires and report them immediately to 9-1-1. Customers are also encouraged to report any outages on Eversource.com or by calling 800-592-2000 in Eastern Massachusetts or 877-659-6326 in Western Massachusetts.

The energy company also reminds natural gas customers to carefully remove any snow or ice that accumulates around vents, gas meters, or any other outdoor piping – using a broom or by hand because a shovel can damage the meter. For more information on winter storm safety, please visit Eversource.com.

Photo caption: Crews assessing damage on Lower County Road in Harwich.

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.45 million electric customers in 142 communities, 635,000 gas customers in 110 communities, and 8,700 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.

CONTACTS:
Chris McKinnon
617-424-2108
christopher.r.mckinnon@eversource.com

Priscilla Ress
413-787-1055
priscilla.ress@eversource.com