Staff reports 6:26 a.m. Updated 7:56 a.m.
Thursday, February 29, 2024 6:25 am

Strong winds overnight knocked out power to some 1,200 households in Greater Rochester.

Meanwhile, as of 6 a.m. today, more than 14,000 customers are without power across New Hampshire. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Gray has issued a Wind Advisory for New Hampshire, saying wind gusts could reach up to 50 mph.

Locally the hardest hit is Barrington where 520 households are in the dark. Rochester outages number 198, Milton 37, Dover 10 and a handful each in Farmington and Somersworth.

In Maine about 240 Acton households and 182 Lebanon households are also without power today.

"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. "Practice power outage safety. Never run a generator indoors. If you come across downed wires, stay away and call 911."

Report power outages to your utility provider every 24 hours until it is restored:

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:

• 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.

Learn more about power outage safety at ReadyNH.gov.