Hurricane Henri Update: Everything New Hampshire Residents Need To Know Right Now

GRAY, ME — A hurricane, expected to hit southern New England on Sunday, could be the first one to impact the region in the last 30 years.

Hurricane Henri, which is off the coast of Long Island, New York, reached hurricane status on Saturday around 11 a.m. The 5 a.m. storm advisory, posted by the National Weather Service on Saturday, predicts Henri will reach Long Island around 2 p.m. on Sunday. Winds of up to 110 mph are expected before it hits — with the radius of the storm expected to reach the entire region.

After it hits landfall, the storm is expected to diminish, make its way up to the Albany, NY, area, and then shift, moving east. By 2 p.m. on Monday, the storm will be a tropical depression, will cross over Concord, and then head out to sea, according to the latest predictions.

Pockets of heavy rain and wind gusts are expected between Sunday and Monday, according to the NWS.

Presuming the storm will still be a hurricane by the time it hits parts of New England, it will be the first one in 30 years, according to AccuWeather.com Hurricane Bob hit the region on Aug. 19, 1991, causing about $1 billion worth of damage to the region.

Storm Preparation

The New Hampshire Department of Safety is monitoring Henri and is advising residents and visitors to prepare for potential impacts.

“Tropical storms and hurricanes are not just a threat to coastal communities,” Jennifer Harper, the state’s emergency management director, said. “High winds, heavy rainfall, tornadoes and flooding can occur anywhere in New Hampshire. Waiting until Sunday to prepare for this storm is too late. Prepare now for potential flooding and power outages.”

Officials also advise that the ReadyNH site has a hurricane page with safety tips, linked here.

Unitil, which serves communities in Concord and the capital region as well as the Seacoast and Rockingham County communities, said in an alert it had “proactively secured additional third party crews to bolster resources.”

This video by the company is a good overview of what you need to prepare for a major storm.

The company plans on activating its system emergency operations center on Sunday.

Eversource, the state's largest utility, also said on Saturday that it would be prepared for storm damage — setting up hundreds of line, tree, and service crews in New Hampshire to serve customers.

“With the continued westward shift in Henri’s track over the past 24 hours, we’ve been positioning crews, equipment and other resources accordingly so that we’re ready for the damage we can expect to see from this storm,” Joe Purington, the company's president, said. “From line, tree and service crews to troubleshooters, damage assessors, wire guards and other support staff, we currently have hundreds of workers across the Granite State prepared to work around the clock to serve our customers, and we will continue to shift and position those resources based on updated forecasts. As Henri approaches landfall in New England, we are singularly focused on our responsibility to restore power as quickly as safely possible for our customers.”

Eversource also recommended customers assemble (or restock) a storm kit with essential items — including non-perishable food, water, medications, batteries, and a first aid kit. Residents should also make sure that all wireless communications devices are fully charged. More tips can be found at Eversource.com.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites. Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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