AWA is without power.
My lights have been flickering.
Yesterday I got this message from Eversourse, New Hampshire’s electric supplier.
I decided to give them a bit of my mind on Twitter about it.
Dear @EversourceNH
If you know that high winds and snow will topple trees into powerlines, then maybe you should trim the trees back away from the powerlines so that doesn't happen.
Just ask @insideFPL how they prepare for hurricane season. pic.twitter.com/YpvHeQPOvP
— GunFreeZone Blog (@GunFreeZone) March 12, 2023
Well… Eversourse got back to me.
Our robust vegetation management program includes tree trimming and removals near roadside power lines and high-voltage power line to help ensure reliable electric service. You can learn more here: https://t.co/od6d7jPW3x
— Eversource NH (@EversourceNH) March 13, 2023
Here is the relevant part of what they provided in the link.
A four to five year cycle?
This should be done annually the way FPL does for hurricane season.
They need more men with chainsaws.
They do the same thing here…. Let wind take care of the weak trees around power lines…. ISA= a bunch of tree huggers controlling how and what you can cut because even tho the earth is millions of years old it won’t survive our tool wielding knuckle dragging neanderthals in modern life….. unless a bunch of p h d “experts” tell you what to do…. You can’t fix stupid…
To back up Curby’s post, here is a link to the protocols which EverSource NH adheres to – https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/pruningyourtrees
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The health of a tree is more important or at least just as important as the comfort level of people. And of course, the “health status of a tree” doesn’t allow for “topping’ of a tree, which in Florida is necessary for the safety of Floridians.
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I talked to a foreman of a tree management service employed by the state of Florida a few weeks ago when they were doing maintenance in my area. He informed me as to how they determine when a tree needs to be trimmed back; when any part of a tree can reach a power line if it breaks or bends, it must be removed; cutting the limb at least ten feet back from the line. That distance is an average distance which enables a maintenance-free period of about seven years in most cases with most trees.
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I think you’ll find that N.H.’s protocols are much greater in duration and far less in tree-to-power-line proximity.
High winds are likely rarer in New Hampshire than in Florida.
Some years you’re probably correct. Although if forty mph winds occur just once or twice a year in NH the point is not relevant. When I lived in NH, Vermont, up state NY, all in the higher elevation areas, both high winds and freezing rain covering trees, annually. So, it’s probably close to a wash between Fl. and NH. I live in the center of the state where high winds are not as likely to occur compared to the shoreline areas. But still trees are ‘Topped Off” and no matter how the tree looks after pruning, it doesn’t matter as long as power lines are protected. In other words, when it comes down to the tree or the people, the tree gets whacked.
New Hampshire- home of Mt Washington where the highest wind ever was recorded-234 mph. 100 mph winds are not uncommon heh heh…
Not to belabor the point- Maine and (probably NH), is still 97% rural FOREST land. 690 million acres in size and 16 million is “developed and or GOVERNMENT owned… i think we can spare a few trees near power lines…
Now now, when was the last time you hugged a tree?
Believe it or not, they’re MUCH better at trimming trees now than they used to be. About 8 years ago, a massive storm came through and decimated power in most of NH. I didn’t live here at the time, so I missed all the fun. The area I currently live in was without power for at least 2 weeks. Since then, Eversource has done a better job of tree trimming. This is not to say it’s adequate, but I point to the fact that this storm only put people out of power for a day or two, and some not even that.