Unitil Continues Hampton, New Hampshire, Gas Meter Inspection as Snow Returns

❄️ A dry, fluffy snow is coming Tuesday

❄️ Unitil continues to check gas meters in Hampton Beach

❄️ Route 1A is closed indefinitely in Rye

Inspections by Until of its gas meters and regulators in Hampton near the beach area show most were not damaged by flood water as yet another winter storm will impact the Seacoast.

The utility began the inspection of 2,500 services Sunday, as wet electrical wiring is hazardous and flooding can be harmful to natural gas equipment, according to Unitil spokesman Alec O'Meara.

"At this point, we only found about 50 meters we had to turn off and have repairs made to them so we can have them brought back safely," O'Meara said in a video message showing a tag left at the location where damaged equipment was found.

Those who find the tag should call 888-301-7700 to schedule a repair.

Inspections were scheduled to continue Sunday night and Monday.

Route 1A Closed

Route 1A in Rye remains closed to all vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians between Route 111 in North Hampton and South Road indefinitely because of damage to the roadway from flooding.

"New Hampshire Department of Transportation crews are conducting ongoing work to clear the road, fix underneath road surfaces, and ensure bridges and roads are safe for travel to resume," the town said in a statement. Work will not resume until Wednesday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday and the forecast of snow on Tuesday.

Newburyport Mayor Sean R. Reardon said the city's fire department responded to 15 weather-related emergencies which were mostly from Plum Island, as well as a call for a cardiac arrest. There were also two electrical fires, multiple floating propane tanks, and multiple calls for service to secure utilities.

“The crews worked through inclement weather, feet of salt water, and cold temperatures at night,” Chief Stephen Bradbury said. “I would like to recognize and thank all of our members and our fellow public safety professionals in Newburyport and Newbury for their assistance. We all worked together as one team to assist residents and safeguard properties as best as we could.”

"Fluffy" snow on the way

The next storm will impact the Seacoast starting just before sunrise on Tuesday and last most of the day, according to meteorologist Stephen Baron at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. It will be a "dry", fluffy snow event for all areas.

"It's going to be a pretty quick hitter. "Not looking at more than like three to four inches there for the Seacoast. The only troubles you might have is that it looks like the snow is going to be around during the morning and evening commutes, which could cause some issues even though it's light," Baron said. "Compared to what we've had, it's going to seem pretty minimal."

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via X (Twitter) @DanAlexanderNH