Roads Still Closed, Fire Station Available For Water Tomorrow

4:17 PM:

Progress is being made slowly but surely to restore power to homes across the state.

Amherst currently has 3,852 homes without power, which is 71 percent of the those served by PSNH. Our neighbors in Mont Vernon are not faring as well with 90 percent of homes without power, or 892.

Amherst Fire Chief Mark Boynton reports the following roads still closed due to downed trees and wires: Kendall Hill, Lakefront Street, Milford Street, Miles Road and Ravine Road.

Amherst Police Chief Mark Reams said on CodeRed that he expects roads to be cleared by tonight.

The Amherst Fire Station will be providing bottled and service water at their location tomorrow from 8am-4pm

The word on schools is a bit vague, but Souhegan High School is expected to get power back tonight. A decision on if there will be school tomorrow should be announced by the superintendent later tonight.

Original Story:

Hurricane Sandy made an impression on Amherst as emergency crews work to clear the damage in order to get power restored to families.

PSNH reports that 4,004 Amherst homes are without power as of this morning, which is 72 percent of the homes served.

"We got hit pretty hard," said Amherst Fire Chief Mark Boynton.

The following Amherst roads are closed due to trees and wires down: Blueberry Hill, Boston Post Road down by Cricket Corner, Christian Hill, Deerwood Drive, Holly Hill, Kendall Hill, Lakefront Street, Milford Street, Pine Road, Pinewood Drive, Schoolhouse Road and Spring Road.

Boynton said that there are 27 trouble spots in town, and they are focused on clearing the roads first before working to restore power for homes.

We have reports of power loss on Crockett Lane, Dodge Road, Oak Hill Road, Buckridge Drive, Conifer Lane, Holly Hill Woodland Drive, Amherst Street, Mont Vernon Road, Old Manchester Road, Cricket Hill, Seaverns Bridge Road, Jasper Valley, Juniper Drive, Lakefront Street, Thornton Vallet II, Cross Road and Fairway Drive.

If you have a power outage to report, please contact PSNH at 1-800-662-7764.

A decision on whether or not to reschedule trick or treating in Amherst, which is scheduled for Wednesday, will be made by 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Amherst homes join the over 200,000 homes across New Hampshire that have lost power due to high winds and heavy rain.

[Be sure to follow Amherst Patch on Facebook, Twitter and through our e-mail alert service for updates on this and other stories.]

We have reports of some local businesses that have power that may comfort those still in the dark. The Homestead Grocery & Deli is serving up coffee and hot breakfast sandwiches, and they have free Wifi and electricity for those who need it. A&E Coffee Roastery and Tea is also serving up hot coffee, tea, espresso, lattes, capps and pastries.

The Amherst Town Library is also open and has internet access available on their public computers, but no Wifi.

[Know of another local business that is open today? Let us know in the comments.]

Although New Hampshire was definitely hit hard by the hurricane, our friends further south have been hit the hardest. USA Today reports that President Obama has declared New York and Long Island federal disaster areas. The storm has left an estimated 6.2 million people without power in seven states in the East, with at least 16 deaths confirmed so far.

We want you all to stay as safe as possible today. For those without power, please follow these generator safety tips from the State Fire Marshall:

• Never place portable generators on or near combustible surfaces such as decks,porches, or tool sheds. Heat generated by the motor, or improper refueling methodscan start a fire.
• Never run portable generators inside any building, including basement areas and garages. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can build up in minutes injuring occupantswith little to no warning.
• Allow plenty of time to cool the generator before refueling. Gasoline vapors can easily ignite from hot surfaces causing a flash fire and severe injuries.Always store approved gasoline containers a safe distance from generators while in use. Always store gasoline in an approved container placed in a well ventilated storage area.
• Never store gasoline products in basements or enclosed areas of your dwelling.
• Never modify or construct any power cord so a generator can be connected to a receptacle, dryer or range outlet.Never connect a generator directly to panel board without a means to prevent in advertent connection to the normal supply system wiring. Connecting a generator directly to an electrical outlet or to a panel board without a transfer switch or an interlocking device could result in a situation where power from the generator could energize the utility’s wiring (back feeds into the utility system). Electrical power from a generator back fed through your meter into the utility system can cause fires, serious injury or death to utility workers trying to repair the lines in the street, or electricians working on nearby property’s electrical systems.
• Unless you are the owner of, and are occupying, a single family residence or meet one of the exceptions in RSA 319-C, a license is required to perform the electrical installation for connection of a generator to premises wiring. Therefore, a properly licensed master electrician must perform the electrical installation. In all cases the electrical installation must meet the minimum requirements of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70-2008).
• Although the generator is portable, an electrical permit and inspection may be required by the local jurisdiction for the installation of electrical wiring and equipment for connecting the generator to the premises wiring. Therefore it would be prudent to contact the local jurisdiction to ascertain whether an electrical permit is required.

If you plan on hitting the roads at all today, please be aware of the dangers of downed trees and power lines:

• Do not attempt to move trees or branches during the storm. Storm damaged trees are unpredictable. Trying to cut a tree that has fallen on your house can create dangerous situations which could cause the tree to fall on you or cause more damage to your home.
• If a tree falls on your house, call your local fire department to have them checkfor damage to utilities such as electric power and gas lines.
• Contact your insurance company to report the damage. When it is safe to do so,photograph the damage. This will be helpful to your insurance agent and adjuster later.
• Remember that trees can become entangled in power lines. Treat every downed wire as if it were energized. Some utility wires are quite strong and will suspend trees and branches aloft. Do not attempt to disentangle the trees or branches. If a wire snaps suddenly, it could send the wire, tree, or branch down on top of you.
• Contact a professional tree company to remove the tree. They have special equipment to remove the tree safely from your building. Trees and tree branches that become lodged on roofs and siding can have lots of tension on them.Attempting to cut them without releasing this tension can result in severe injury or death.
• Do not attempt permanent repairs until a professional has a chance to examine for underlying structural damage.