Efforts are progressing to restore power to 93,000 PSNH customers who are still without power following Hurricane Sandy. PSNH crews have restored power to more than 109,000 customers since Sandy’s onset. At peak, the storm affected 137,000 PSNH customers.

PSNH line, contractor, and tree trimming crews on Tuesday made steady progress throughout the state and will be bolstered by 75 line crews from Hydro-Québec. The Canadian team is expected to join PSNH and contractor crews, accelerating what has been projected to be a multi-day restoration effort.

The initial emphasis of the restoration has included focusing on ensuring roads are clear of downed lines, trees, and limbs, and restoring power to key public infrastructure like schools, shelters, and water treatment facilities. As of this morning, the NH Department of Transportation reported more than 230 roads across the state were either closed or blocked by downed limbs, trees, and power and communication lines.

At daybreak, crews began conducting detailed damage assessments of affected areas, providing essential information on downed lines and other trouble areas so that PSNH’s area work centers throughout the state can quickly and effectively prioritize their mobilization. Among the hardest hit areas are portions of the seacoast, the southern I-93 corridor, and several communities in the Monadnock Region.

Hurricane Sandy’s impact has resulted in the fourth highest number of customers without power in PSNH’s 86-year history, with the five largest storms all having occurred in the past four and half years. Overall, Sandy has affected more than 8 million people from Maryland to Maine.

While the restoration effort is underway, PSNH is urging customers to use extra caution around downed wires and tree limbs, and when using a generator:

Customers should never touch a downed wire, and assume any downed line is live and dangerous. Downed lines should be reported to PSNH immediately at 1-800-662-7764.

Customers using generators should make sure they are installed correctly-for their own safety, as well as that of line workers. A generator should only be attached to the house wiring and completely isolated from the utility supply. Without proper isolation, power that is being generated through the home could also feed into the PSNH electrical system, causing an unsafe situation for both line workers and neighbors. Please take care when installing a portable generator. For more generator safety tips, visit http://www.psnh.com/stormsafety/

PSNH's call center is fully staffed and fielding customer calls. If a customer loses power, it is important they report their outage once to PSNH. Customers can report outages by calling 1-800-662-7764 or through www.psnh.com. Opportunities for the media to observe the call center in action may be available. Interested media should contact PSNH Media Relations for more information.

Staying Informed - During major power restoration efforts, PSNH uses a variety of communication tools to keep the public informed. Customers can follow PSNH on Twitter @psnh or on Facebook for real time updates. PSNH also uses a news blog, www.psnhnews.com, to post press releases, outage updates, and other important storm related information. Customers can also access PSNH's outage map to see up to date outage information about their community.