Updated information on the Halloween Nor'Easter from Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig:
Dear Members of the Community,
As of 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) had restored power to more than 101,000 homes and businesses across New Hampshire. The number of customers still without power was about 135,000, down from a peak of 237,000 thousand on Sunday afternoon. In addition to restoring power to customers, Monday's efforts across New Hampshire focused on critical community infrastructure like schools and municipal buildings. The few remaining schools that are without power will be the target of continued attention on Tuesday. Downed trees still litter many towns, and clearing roads remains a high priority in the southern tier of the state.
PSNH REPORT FOR THE DURHAM AREA
PSNH was able to restore power late last night to the Durham Police Department, Public Works Department, and Wastewater Treatment Facility. Our Beech Hill and Foss Farm water tanks, however, still do not have power. This is problematic as we have emergency communications equipment located on these towers that is on back up generation. This morning back up generation had issues impacting our emergency communications capabilities. PSNH is on route at this time to address power on Beech Hill.
The Oyster River sewer pump station is operating on emergency backup power and must therefore be monitored 24/7 by the Public Works Department to ensure it is operational. The Lamprey River pump station serving our water system is also down causing the water treatment plant to switch to the Oyster River for water supply purposes.
The Oyster River High School had been restored with power but unfortunately the power went down this morning for several minutes only to be quickly restored.
There will be a concerted effort to get Durham’s Mill Plaza and the various business located there back on line by mid-afternoon today.
The Epping Work Center that services Durham and the surrounding area has 20 line crews working Tuesday so they should be able to make good progress. An additional 60 out of state crews arrive in NH this morning. This should expedite the restoration process across NH. The Epping Work Center restored about 4,000 customers last night and has just over 8,000 customers remaining without power. Durham is showing 1,263 customers remaining without power at this time and PSNH will continue working to restore them today.
The Faculty Neighborhood is quite badly impacted due to many localized lines down.
We are aware that power had been restored early Monday morning along Fellows Lane, Fitts Farm Drive, and Edgewood Road (between Madbury Rd. and Emerson Rd.) but that shortly thereafter a transformer blew and power was lost once again. This will be conveyed to PSNH.
My estimate based upon numerous such large-scale power outages (note, this is not a PSNH estimate), is that with additional resources on hand and public infrastructure largely restored in the area, Durham will see movement in power restoration by PSNH today in some neighborhoods, more progress on Wednesday, with the most severely impacted areas in town and those with individual services down by Thursday/Friday. Residents with no power should contact their power provider daily to report their outage at the numbers provided below.
This storm rates as PSNH's third largest outage in history, following the December 2008 Ice Storm and February 2010 Wind Storm. PSNH crews are inbound from as far away as Tennessee, Illinois, and Canada to supplement state resources.
AREAS WITH POWER ARE LISTED HERE IN CASE RESIDENTS NEED SUPPLIES
Downtown Durham does have power. UNH has power. In addition, the Lee Traffic Circle has power.
HOW TO CALL PSNH OR THE NH ELECTRIC COOP
Call PSNH daily to report a power outage at 1-800-662-7764. Do not assume PSNH knows you do not have power! During these storm events, PSNH works to reenergize areas of town neighborhood by neighborhood but they do not always know individual service lines to homes are down. If an individual service is down, but a neighborhood has been “restored”, PSNH will not know you still do not have power – unless you let them know. So call PSNH and don’t be shy. If you obtain power through the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, please contact NHEC directly at 603-536-8713.
COMCAST CONTACT INFORMATION
If your are have power but your internet, phone, or television service provided by Comcast is not operational, please contact Comcast directly toll free at 1-888-633-4266.
DURHAM/UNH WARMING CENTER INFORMATION
A “Warming Center” will be in place at the UNH Hamel Recreation Center (formerly Snively) at the Whittemore Center. It is open to both UNH and the Town of Durham for daytime use only. Parking is available at the Depot Road Parking Lot for access to the Hamel Recreation Center. To avoid a parking ticket, put a piece of paper on your window that indicates you are utilizing the “Warming Center” at the Hamel Rec. Center. Residents in need of Universal Access parking may park in the Depot Road Lot spaces, in H-Lot by the Outdoor Pool, or at the UNH Alumni Center in appropriately marked spaces. Amenities include wireless access, showers, a soft floor, and at least 20 cots for use for the community’s benefit. Animals are not allowed in the facility. To date, more than 50 residents have used the facility for showers, etc. We appreciate all of the efforts the staff at the Hamel Recreation Center and UNH for opening the facility for Durham residents.
CONSIDER THE MUB AS AN OPTION FOR A WARM PLACE TO VISIT
If residents have no heat and are interested in taking some time to explore the Memorial Union Building (MUB) on the UNH campus. Durham residents are welcome! The MUB has WiFi, a food court, and more.
PORTABLE GENERATOR SAFETY INFORMATION
We have received some emergency calls due to improperly placed portable generators in Durham and the Fire Department is now driving through neighborhoods advising of proper placement and installation when they see issues. Yesterday, deadly levels of carbon monoxide were detected in a child’s room due to a generator being operated in the garage. It was a very close call for the family.
Portable generators should be placed 10 feet from any structure, with the exhaust facing away from the building openings. Deadly exhaust fumes can enter the building through any opening resulting in severe injury or death to unsuspecting occupants.
- Never place portable generators on or near combustible surfaces such as decks, porches, or tool sheds. Heat generated by the motor, or improper refueling methods can start a fire.
- Never run portable generators inside any building, including basement areas and garages. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can build up in minutes injuring occupants with little to no warning.
- Allow plenty of time to cool the generator before refueling. Gasoline vapors can easily ignite from hot surfaces causing a flash fire and severe injuries.
- Always store approved gasoline containers a safe distance from generators while in [use]
IS THE FOOD IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER SAFE AFTER A LOSS OF POWER?
The US Department of Agriculture recommends taking the following steps during and after a weather emergency involving loss of power:
- Never taste food to determine if it is safe.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
- The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
- Food can be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below.
- Get block ice or dry ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for an extended period of time.
- Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items after 4 hours without power.
DO YOU NEED TO RECHARGE YOUR CELL PHONE?
If anyone needs to recharge their cell phones, the Durham Town Office is available during normal business hours at 15 Newmarket Road.
BE SURE TO CHECK IN ON NEIGHBORS WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE
Please take the time to touch base with your neighbors and/or friends within the community, particularly those who may need assistance, to ensure they are alright given the power outage. If you know of someone who the Police or Fire Department should check in on as part of a wellness check, please call 868-2324.
WHO TO CALL IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE?
If you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact the Durham Police Department at 603-868-2324. In an emergency situation, please call 911.
Todd
Todd I. Selig
Administrator
Town of Durham, NH
(603) 868-5571
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
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