Hurricane season is here, and Eversource says they’re ready, thanks to year-round planning and new technology designed to speed up storm response.
Boston 25 got a look inside Eversource’s Emergency Operations Center, which is staffed 24/7 to monitor severe weather and respond quickly when storms strike.
From hurricanes to thunderstorms and blizzards, Eversource is tracking extreme weather every day of the year. One of their latest tools is the Rapid Pole system, which helps crews restore power faster in hard-hit areas.
“One of the newest things we have is the rapid pole… that can be deployed very quickly into an area,” said Mark Baldwin, Vice President of Emergency Preparedness at Eversource. “We wouldn’t use it in every scenario, but if you think about a major thoroughfare feeding a hospital, shelter, or town hall—it’s a game changer.”
Baldwin says the rapid pole can be up and running within an hour, which buys valuable time for line crews and helps get critical services back online faster.
“It really gets the pressure off of the crews setting the pole,” he said. “They can work safely, methodically.”
Eversource has also expanded the use of smart switches—technology that allows them to reroute electricity automatically, minimizing outages for customers.
“We now have a lot of ties where we can direct electricity in different ways,” Baldwin explained. “You might wake up and see your alarm clock blinking, but the power was only out for a minute while we switched the system.”
In the event of a major storm, the company has over 80 mutual aid contracts in place with utility crews across the country.
“We’re connected all the way from Canada down to Texas,” Baldwin said. “And with hurricanes, we can usually get those crews here a little faster.”
Tree damage is one of the leading causes of power outages. That’s why Eversource’s vegetation team works year-round to trim and remove trees that could fall during storms.
“We manage the trees and other vegetation that are growing near the electric wires,” said Chris Gonzalez, Manager of Vegetation Management for Massachusetts.
“We all love trees—but it’s an important part of our job to make sure they’re not interfering with the wires.”
Eversource encourages homeowners to keep an eye on the health of trees near their homes and contact the utility if anything looks unsafe.,
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
