NH emergency officials: Stay safe as 50 mph winds knock out power for thousands

New Hampshire emergency officials issued advice on staying safe as more than 14,000 people woke up Thursday morning without power following strong winds overnight.

The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, has issued a Wind Advisory for New Hampshire, forecasting wind gusts could reach up to 50 mph. The advisory is in effect until 3 p.m. Thursday.

“If you lose power, keep you and your family safe,” said Robert Buxton, director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in a prepared statement. “Practice power outage safety. Never run a generator indoors. If you come across downed wires, stay away and call 911.”

There were scattered power outages in small numbers in most Seacoast communities early Thursday morning with Rochester and Kensington among the communities in the hundreds. Most local cities and towns had fewer than 20, and power restoration times were estimated for early in the day.

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Officials provided the following utility contacts:

• Eversource: 1-800-662-7764
• Liberty Utilities : 1-855-349-9455
• NH Electric Co-op: 1-800-343-6432
• Unitil: 1-888-301-7700

Buxton makes the following safety recommendations in a press release:

• Stay informed by signing up for NH Alerts and monitoring National Weather Service radio or broadcast weather reports.
• Drivers should use extra caution, go slow and be alert for crews clearing debris.
• Use flashlights, rather than candles, for emergency lighting.
• Only use a generator that has been wired to the house electrical service by a professional electrician.
• Never run a generator inside a building or in an enclosed space.

Information: ReadyNH.gov