Emera Maine Readies Crews, Resources as Powerful Nor’easter Bears Down on New England

Bangor, Maine — Throughout the weekend, Emera Maine’s Storm Response Team monitored weather forecasts and held conference calls in preparation for the snowstorm expected to hit Maine late Monday night and lasting into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

Among the steps the utility has taken in preparation:

• Moving internal crews to more central locations ahead the storm to ensure timely response and safer travel
• Placing external contractors on standby to be brought in as conditions warrant
• Deploying support staff to outlying field offices to assist supervisors and line workers as needed
• Fueling up trucks, snow sleds and ATV’s
• Stocking up on storm kits and other supplies for field crews
• Placing employees from elsewhere in the company on standby to assist in the Customer Service Center as needed

“By all accounts, this storm looks to be substantial,” said Janet Scully, Manager, Customer Service and Storm Response Team lead. “The combination of heavy snow and strong, gusty winds may cause tree limbs to come down on power lines, causing significant power outages. We started planning early to be as prepared as we can be up front.” The Storm Response Team will continue to monitor the storm’s track and modify staffing plans as needed.

Should the storm be as significant as forecasters believe, customers can assist with restoration efforts by ensuring driveways and side roads are plowed and accessible for our crews. In addition, with anticipated whiteout conditions causing limited visibility, drivers are asked to use caution when navigating near crews working along roadways, allowing a wide berth to ensure safety for crews and motorists alike.

As always customers are reminded to stay clear of fallen power lines and trees near or touching them. Locating account numbers in advance and programming the Customer Service Center phone number into cell phones can help speed up the reporting process. Anyone using alternate heat sources and generators is reminded to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Customers can get the latest outage and restoration information and view our live outage map at emeramaine.com. Outages can be reported online or by calling our customer service center at 1-855-EMERA-11 (1-855-363-7211) Local: 207-973-2000.

"This story was submitted to us as a press release. If you would like to share your community news with our audience, email newspi@townsquaremedia.com."