NPU preparing for hurricane season

Extensive planning is a key to safe, effective restoration efforts

NORWICH – As hurricane season for 2024 moves forward, Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) continues its extensive efforts to be prepared for severe weather that could impact electric service to its customers in the weeks and months ahead.

“The likelihood of a major storm hitting our region is a matter of when, not if, so we have to be prepared for our customers,” said Chris LaRose, General Manager of NPU. “We know that they will be counting on us in the event of a major storm – and we take great pride in getting power restored for them in an efficient and safe manner.”

Ahead of every major storm, NPU confirms that it has the appropriate materials, equipment, and personnel in place to respond to an emergency; in some instances, NPU may pre-stage vehicles and equipment across the city to allow for a more immediate response to an emergency.

On Tuesday this week, NPU was part of a call with the State of Connecticut’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) to review and discuss state-wide hurricane response policies and procedures. The meeting included the participation of more than 200 state and municipal officials.

For several years, NPU has collaborated with City officials (City Manager, Norwich Police Department, Norwich Fire Department, Public Works, Board of Education, Human Services, and Finance) and other community partners such as well as Norwich’s Volunteer Fire Departments, Uncas Health, Hartford Heathcare, Red Cross, and American Ambulance Services in response to major events.  This type of experience and collaboration supports an effective and efficient response to a storm.

Over the past several months, NPU’s annual pre-hurricane season preparations have been reviewed and confirmed, including:

  • Tree trimming – Throughout the year, NPU line crews and two contractors tree crews work on tree trimming and removing heavy vegetation, especially vine growth in targeted areas.
  • Contractors’ crews – NPU has confirmed the availability of additional contractor tree crews that are assigned to the utility; additional assistance will be secured by NPU if necessary.
  • Mutual aid – NPU has mutual aid agreements with the Northeast Public Power Association (NEPPA) and the American Public Power Association (APPA).  If a storm is localized to lower New England, crews from other NEPPA members will be able to send line crews to assist with restoration efforts in Norwich. If a storm is more wide-reaching and impacting most of New England, crews from the APPA mutual aid network would make crews from other parts of the country available to assist.

NPU will also utilize two important technologies to provide regular updates to the public before and during a major storm:

  • The Outage Map on the NPU website (www.norwichpublicutilities.com) provides customers with a snapshot of outages across the city. The map updates every ten minutes and displays clusters of customers out of service, not individual homes or businesses. Should a customer see that an outage is impacting their neighborhood on the outage map, a call into NPU’s Customer Service Center will not be necessary.
  • NPU will also use its ‘robo-call’ system, CodeRed, if necessary to make automated calls to customers to provide updates on outages, progress with restoration, and important safety messages. NPU is encouraging customers to confirm that NPU has the most up-to-date phone numbers for these calls.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an ‘above normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, with a potential range of 17-25 total named storms (with winds above 39 miles per hour) this year.