North Andover Plans For Temperature Drop Before Gas Restored

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- Officials still remain optimistic that gas service will be restored to all Columbia Gas of Massachusetts customers in North Andover by November 19. But officials are working on a plan if temperatures drop to "a dangerous level" before that work is complete.

"This will be a multifaceted plan that will likely include securing hotel rooms and apartments, locating congregate housing, and renting portable trailers or RVs. The town is working with our state partners, specifically the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Governor’s Office, to develop this plan. More information will be provided when the plan is fully developed," the town said in its daily update Monday.

The Sept. 13 gas explosions left more than 8,500 without gas service in North Andover, Lawrence and Andover, and some of those customers won't have service restored until well into the autumn. Columbia Gas needs to replace more than 45 miles of underground lines before individual service can be turned on for customers without power.

In addition to 122 crews working in the three communities to replace gas lines, Columbia Gas has been scheduling appointments to install temporary space heaters in homes still without gas service. "If your home is determined to have the electrical capacity to safely support a space heater, the assessment teams will provide one when they visit you," Columbia Gas said in an update.

The National Weather Service does not expect low temperatures to drop below 50 degrees over the next 10 days. But the average low temperature in November is 34 degrees Fahrenheit in North Andover.

For more information, see the North Andover Daily Update for Monday.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).