'We're ready.' Eversource prepares on Cape Cod, elsewhere for Hurricane Lee

For several days, all eyes at Eversource have been on Hurricane Lee as it's made its way over the Atlantic and turned toward New England. Predictions about the storm's track have bounced around from slightly east to slightly west — as of Thursday afternoon, it appears to be favoring east and looking to scrape by Cape Cod.

"We have several weather services, including the National Hurricane Center, we've been watching and having calls with," Craig Hallstrom, president of Regional Electric Operations, said on Thursday morning.

The Thursday morning forecast showed the storm taking "a little better track a little further out east" than was predicted on Wednesday, with lesser sustained winds in the 40 mph zone and peak winds in the mid-50s.

Hallstrom, a Cape resident himself, said "We take this stuff very seriously."

The company expects there will be some damage, but "we're ready," he said.

Eversource has 180,000 customers on Cape Cod

The company, which has about 180,000 customers on Cape Cod, plans to deploy its crews on Friday. It'll open its emergency operating center at 484 Willow St. in Yarmouth and will set up a mobile command center in Falmouth.

"A lot of times we bring that to the Falmouth Mall," Hallstrom said.

Storm prep also includes a planned inspection of the Provincetown Battery Energy Storage System, capable of providing backup power to customers on the Outer Cape, to "make sure there're no issues" and everything is in working order.

Hallstrom said the company is bringing in additional crews as well.

Extra Eversouce crews directed to Cape Cod

"We have 400 contractor crews that will be on property by (Friday) morning," he said. "Some will be on Cape, some will be on the South Shore, some will be in Boston."

When the storm clears and it's safe, he said, "they'll be ready to go to work."

"That looks like it's going to be Saturday morning. Sunrise is when the peak winds are going to be hitting our area. It looks like by noon they'll be out of here," Hallstrom said.

The company is planning for fallen trees.

"Because we've had so much rain the earth is saturated, and the root balls can't hold the trees," he said, "so we have some additional tree crews coming in."

The company is working to ensure smooth communication with town and state officials.

"Communication is huge in an event like this. People need to know what we're doing. We've been talking to the state (government), we've been talking to MEMA (state emergency management), we've been talking to our communities," Hallstrom said.

The company uses an application called Municipal Hub to maintain constant communication with state and local officials, where they can report on areas of concern such as blocked roads, downed lines and other public safety hazards, "so you kind of get away from depending on phone calls," he said.

"That system we put in place a couple of years ago and it's been a useful tool," Hallstrom said, "it's a way for us to communicate quickly."

Starting Thursday morning, the company began reaching out to customers with medical needs who notified them about any power-dependent life support devices they need. The company also planned to begin sending out pre-storm messages to all customers about safety and how to report outages.

"If power should go out, either report it to us through our app, or call us at 800-592-2000," Hallstrom said. "We want to know if your lights are out."

The company advises people to stay away from all downed wires, to charge electronic devices ahead of the storm, and, if using a generator, to make sure it's well away from the house and any open windows to avoid dangerous interior build-up of carbon monoxide.

"Mid September is the peak of the hurricane season," Hallstrom said. "We're in the second half, so hopefully it'll stay calm."

Supplies needed to survive a hurricane

Eversource encourages customers to also prepare by putting together, or restocking, a storm kit that includes essentials such as flashlights, batteries, water, non-perishable foods, pet food and any needed medications. It's also suggested to "create an emergency plan with family members and prepare to check on elderly neighbors and friends."

Downed wires should be reported immediately to 911. Outages can be reported online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-592-2000 in Eastern Massachusetts. Customers can also download Eversource’s mobile app or sign up for the company’s two-way texting to report and check outages in the event they do occur.

Additional preparedness tips can be found at Eversource.com. 

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Eversource offers customers several ways to keep in touch on service