National Grid : Power Restoration Efforts Continue in Eastern New York After Damaging Wind and Rain Storms Swept Through the Region

May 30, 2020 - 1:30 PM

National Grid line, tree and service workers in eastern New York continue to focus on public safety as they remove downed wires, trees, tree limbs and other hazards and replace more than 50 broken poles after damaging wind and rain storms swept across the region yesterday as part of a storm system that impacted customers across upstate New York. Crews worked through the night in very challenging conditions and have restored service to more than 90 percent of the more than 42,700 National Grid customers affected across the state.

The remaining 3,000 customers without service in the hardest-hit areas of Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties are expected to have power restored hour-by-hour as crews continue the labor-intensive cleanup and restoration effort. The majority of customers are expected to have service restored by midnight tonight, with a limited number of customers in the areas that experienced the most severe damage restored Sunday morning. The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into ourReport or Check an Outagepage. The company's extensive resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired.

The Restoration Process

The company's first 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 herefor 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.

The company also provides customers with the following safety reminders:

Electricity & Generator Safety

• 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.

  Stay informed and connected:

  • Customers can receivepersonalized alerts by text, email, and/or phonewhen 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'sOutage 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.