Two Taken to the Hospital for CO Exposure

Two residents on Friar Tuck Lane are being evaluated for carbon monoxide exposure this morning, said Merrimack Emergency Management Director Michael Currier. Once crews finish evaluating them on site, they will be transported to an area hospital for further evaluation.

According to Currier's latest situation report, the fire department is responding to multiple carbon monoxide emergencies but only the pair on Friar Tuck have needed to be taken to the hospital.

Please check out the carbon monoxide hazards information and generator safety tips posted in PDF format at right.

Among the top questions on parents minds this morning, is trick or treat still on for Wednesday evening, and to that, the answer is yes. Police Chief Mark Doyle said Tuesday morning that trick-or-treat is still scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 31.

As of 10:30 a.m., 4,657 customers remain without power, which is about 41 percent of town, according to PSNH. The list of outages continues to be widespread. Merrimack Patch Facebook and Twitter fans are reporting outages on the following roads:

Marty Drive, Brewster Street, Joppa Road, Derry Street, Woodward Road, Meadowoods: Jessica, Ellie, Chelsea drives, Nichols Lane, Windsor Drive, Bean Road, Mason Road, Back River Road, Powers Circle, Merrymeeting Drive, Ministerial Drive, Huckleberry Lane, Mill Street at the Depot Street end, Henry Clay Drive, Barlow Lane, Donovan Court, Woodridge Road, North end of Wire Road, Walnut Circle, Greatstone Drive, Windover Lane, Level Street, Brenda Lane, Pollard Road, Carriage Lane, Peaslee Road, and Silver Doe Lane.

And they are still rolling in. If your street is without power, and not listed above, please comment below. Currier said most power should be back up by the end of Tuesday, though there may be a few without power until Wednesday.

Road closures remain on: Peaslee Road at No. 4, O’Gara Drive at the tennis courts, Davis Rd at No. 32, Naticook Road at No. 38 (is accessible through the neighborhoods), Depot Street at No. 15 is being worked on by PSNH, and Lamson Drive by Naticook Road/Peaslee Road.

As clean up starts following the heavy wind and rain that accompanied Hurricane Sandy in the Granite State on Monday, it's a good time to review some general safety tips in the wake of power outages.

Yesterday we looked at how long food will last in the fridge if the power goes out (hint, most stuff in your fridge has got to go if you've been without power since yesterday). Above we've attached PDFs with information from the state fire marshal's office about generator safety, the hazards of carbon monoxide and tips when dealing with downed trees today.

According to Currier's report, the fire department is continuing to respond to downed wires, blocked roads and working with PSNH to resolve issues this morning.

Public works is also working with PSNH this morning clearing debris from roadways. All highway crews are currently in teams of two performing damage assessments of all streets in town. They are clearing any small trees and debris cleanup and saw crews will be dispatched as soon as damage assessments are complete.

The town will also be ready to assist PSNH crews to clear areas once trees are removed from wires, Currier said, but no requests have been made yet.
A chipper will be picked up Wednesday with an eye to start debris clean ups the morning.

Patrols will begin again this afternoon to clear storm drains to minimize street flooding and parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields to be assessed this afternoon.

Also of note, the Merrimack Public Library is open today for anyone who needs to recharge and just get out of the house for a little while.