MANCHESTER - New Hampshire residents who lose power this afternoon should expect to be in the dark for a long time.

High winds will sideline any power restoration efforts until they subside to safe levels, according to New Hampshire power companies. And once they subside, efforts will concentrate on first clearing block roadways and removing trees from power lines, said Martin Murray, a spokesman for Public Service of New Hampshire.

Because of the weather patterns, high winds and even higher gusts associated with Hurricane Sandy are expect to last until early tomorrow. Murray said that crews cannot go up in bucket trucks once winds hit 35 or 40 mph.

"The men can’t get out and begin restoring power until it’s safe to do so," Murray said.

As of noon, Unitil reported 950 customers without power. PSNH had about 2,400 customers out.

"Right now, we’re restoring power and will do so until the condistions don’t allow," Unitil spokesman Alec O’Meara said around noon-time.

But once the storm hits, here’s the priority list for PSNH.

• Public Safety. Murray said crews will initially work with state and local crews to clear roads. For utility crews, that means cutting downed power lines and clearing them from travel ways.

• Damage assessment. Power company officials will assess damage and prioritize efforts in order to restore the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time. Murray said customers who lose power should notify Public Service once about their status, that can be done on-line, via phone or by a mobile device.

• Tree work. Crews must clear downed trees, tree limbs and other obstructions before lines can be restrung.

• Restoration, which will concentrate on main lines. "Restoration is done in a common sense and logical manner in order to restore the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time," Murray said.

Unitil has crews on the way to New Hampshire from Michigan, Tennessee and Canada. PSNH has crews on their way from Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.