More Than 20,000 Without Power In NH; Breaker Explodes In Concord After Branches Reported On Wires: Video

CONCORD, NH — More than 20,000 electricity customers lost power in New Hampshire after thunderstorms and heavy rain moved through the state on Thursday.

The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management confirmed the outages. The department asked customers to report outages directly to the state’s four utility companies and warned residents not to run generators inside buildings or other enclosed spaces.

“If you lose power, keep you and your family safe,” Robert Buxton, the director of HSEM, said. “Never run a generator indoors. If you come across downed wires, stay away and call 911. Utility crews are out working hard to restore outages as they happen. If you come across a crew on the road, give them room to work.”

Drivers should use extra caution during storms, and residents should use flashlights rather than candles for emergency lighting, he said.

More safety tips are available at ReadNH.gov.

Explosion In Concord Caught On Camera

Around 3 p.m., an hour before the heaviest rain hit, during the pre-storm blustery wind, Concord firefighters were sent to Short Street and North Spring Street in response to a report of branches on wires catching fire.

When they arrived, they saw a large branch hanging from wires, burning. After a few minutes, an explosion was heard and recorded on video by News 603.

The branches were extinguished by the firefighters.

According to a battalion commander, the breaker tripped on the utility pole. The commander radioed the pole number to Concord Fire Alarm so they could notify Unitil.

Outages In New Hampshire

The following active outages were reported around 6:30 p.m. on June 18.

Eversource, the state’s largest utility, reported about 15,000 customers without power, including more than 1,800 in Derry, about 13 percent of the community. Outages were also reported in Amherst, Barrington, Bedford, Bradford, Dover, Dunbarton, Lyndeborough, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Wilton, and Windham.

The New Hampshire Electric Coop reported nearly 5,000 customers without power, including communities in the Upper Valley and Lakes Region. More than 800 customers were without power in Claremont, Cornish, and Plainfield, and nearly 900 were out in Allenstown and Deerfield. Alton, Gilford, Sanbornton, and Tuftonboro all reported more than 1,100 without power.

Unitil, which serves customers in Concord and the capital region, as well as Seacoast and southeastern New Hampshire communities, reported about 2,000 customers without power.

Around 850 were out in Stratham, 295 in Kingston, 240 in Atkinson, 184 in Exeter, 159 in Hampton Falls, 78 in Kensington, and 64 in Plaistow.

About 100 customers are without power in Concord.

Liberty Utilities reported a few dozen customers without power in Canaan and Salem.

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