Fire Chief Expects Lots of Power Outages

Just as they did for Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, Portsmouth Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire and other city officials gathered at the Emergency Communications Center at Fire Station 2 Monday afternoon to deal with Hurricane Sandy.

LeClaire said he doesn't believe the Portsmouth area will get hit as hard by Hurricane Sandy. He said more storm damage will happen to the south of the city and inland. But that doesn't mean Portsmouth will avoid any storm damage.

"I am expecting a lot of power outages," said LeClaire.

The fire chief said Sandy's high winds that will peak at 60 miles per hour and cause the most damage between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday will down plenty of tree limbs and power lines. Fortunately, LeClaire said it is still mild outside and people should be able to stay in their homes even if they lose heat.

"Most people will stay in their homes and ride this out," he said. LeClaire said that as long as people have enough non-perishable food, water and flashlights, they should be able to stay in their homes until power is restored. He said Portsmouth is also not planning to call for any evacuations.

If people need shelter, they can go to the North Hampton Elementary School where the Seacoast Regional Shelter has been set up, LeClaire said.

As he said on Friday, LeClaire urged city residents to police their backyards and put away any lawn furniture or other items that could become dangerous projectiles. For those who will use generators, LeClaire said they should use them outdoors.

"The carbon monoxide will kill you," he said. "You won't smell it and you won't taste it, but it will get into your body."

He also said city residents who typically experience flooded basements when there is an excessive amount of rainfall should expect that to happen again and take the proper measures to minimize damage like getting items off the floor as much as possible.

LeClaire also doesn't want people to flock to Ocean Boulevard around Odiorne Point in Rye or elsewhere to do Sandy watching because it is also very dangerous.

Overall, LeClaire described Sandy as "a hybrid Nor'easter" that will cause most of its damage and power outages within the six-hour window of 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. But Portsmouth fire officials do not expect to see too much flooding.