National Grid : Field Force Continuing Power Restoration Work After Damaging Thunderstorms, High Winds Impact Portions of Central New York

National Grid Field Force Continuing Power Restoration Work After Damaging Thunderstorms, High Winds Impact Portions of Central New York Oct 08, 2020 - 1:40 PM

Contact: Media Line 315-428-3151

National Grid's field force of line, tree, and service workers has successfully restored power to more than 96 percent of the nearly 45,000 customers impacted by the damaging wind and rain storms that moved across central New York Wednesday. The remaining customers without service are expected to have power restored hour-by-hour as crews continue to work throughout today and into tonight. There may be a limited number of single customer outages potentially extending into tomorrow. Company resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired. The company remains focused on power restoration across the region, including the hardest-hit communities in Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga counties.

National Grid offers the following safety reminders:

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online.
• Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed lines should immediately be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.
• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadlycarbon monoxide. Before operating a generator, be sure to disconnect from National Grid's system by shutting off the main breaker, located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could endanger our crews and your neighbors.
• Customers who depend on electrically powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should register as a life support customer by calling National Grid at 1-800-642-4272. In a medical emergency, always dial 911.
• Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices before the storm.
• Please use caution when driving near emergency responders and crews restoring power.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors, and others who may need assistance during an outage.

The Restoration Process

The company's priority is to ensure the safety of our customers and our crews by clearing away dangers such as live, downed power lines. Next come repairs to main transmission facilities, including towers, poles, and high-tension wires that deliver power to thousands of customers. Recovery work at local substations also is a high priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers, and service wires. Click here for more details, including a video, on the company's restoration process.

National Grid continues to work closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts. Customers are reminded to remain aware of potential safety hazards such as damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven't yet fallen to the ground. As always, all downed wires should be considered live and immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.

A Reminder on Estimated Restoration Times

• Immediately after a storm, restoration times on National Grid's Outage Central site may be listed as 'assessing conditions.' That's because safety hazards, such as trees, tree limbs, and downed wires must be cleared away so that infrastructure damage can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.
• It's normal for outage numbers and ETRs to fluctuate. The numbers can go up and down as an ongoing storm causes new outages and/or as we de-energize lines to make conditions safe for repairs and restoration. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur that are separate from storm-related outages.
• Outage Central Reminder: Our Outage Central page shows the estimated time of restoration for entire communities and reflects the estimated time for the last customer in that communityto have power restored. The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into our Report or Check an Outage page.

Stay informed and connected:

• Customers can receive personalized alerts by text, email, and/or phone when an outage is detected at their property by enrolling in the company's outage alert option. To register, text REG to 64743, enter your National Grid electricity account number, and select your preferred method(s) of notification. Customers also can text OUT to 64743 to report an outage.
• For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit National Grid's Outage Central website. Customers who create an online profile also can sign up for email alerts.

About National Grid

About National Grid: National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, and find our photos on Instagram.