National Grid Responding to Damage Caused by Powerful Nor’easter Impacting Massachusetts and Rhode Island Customers

WALTHAM, MA - National Grid has over 2,400 field personnel responding to power outages due to a powerful Nor'easter that delivered up to 80 mph winds in some areas overnight and is expected to continue through mid-day today.

Damage from the storm is widespread, with the hardest hit areas ranging along Eastern Massachusetts and throughout Rhode Island, with restoration efforts expected to continue over the next few days. As of 8:00 a.m., more than 315,000 customers (over 222,000 in MA and over 92,000 in Rhode Island) were without power.

"We're seeing significant impact to our system as a result of downed trees, limbs, poles and wires, and we have also sustained damage to some transmission lines feeding substations, which results in wide-spread community outages," said Michael McCallan, Vice President of New England Electric Operations. "We remain focused on public safety today as our line and forestry workers work to assess and repair power systems in affected communities. We will be prioritizing those repairs that will return service to the largest number of customers first, and will of course continue to work until every customer has their electricity back."

Field personnel in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are responding to emergency 911 and wires down calls and prioritizing critical care facilities as we continue assessing the damage, clearing trees, and making repairs to electrical infrastructure wherever conditions are safe to do so. This enables the restoration to proceed safely and efficiently and helps us restore power to customers more quickly.

Once the Company has completed damage assessment and addressed the most significant public safety issues, Estimate Times of Restoration will be updated on its Outage Central site.

The Company offers the following tips and reminders:

Customers Should Stay Connected:

• Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212.
• Use your mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid's mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram; we post all the latest storm and restoration updates.
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central
• To stay connected during storms and outages, text to 64743 using any of the below commands.
  • REG to sign up for text alerts
  • OUT to report an outage
  • SUM followed by your town, county, or state to get a summary of outages in your area
  • HELP for the full list of commands

• Customers are also encouraged to ensure National Grid has their current email address and phone number on file. This helps us communicate important updates regarding storms or outages. Customers can review their contact information at ngrid.com by clicking on "sign in/register."

Stay Safe:

• Never touch downed power lines, and always assume that any fallen lines are live electric wires. If you see one, report it immediately to National Grid or your local emergency response organization.
• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it's an especially good idea to keep a supply of bottled drinking water handy, as well as some canned food.
• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, call the company's Customer Service Center at 1-800-322-3223.
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.

Electric Safety:

• If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, disconnect from National Grid's system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could jeopardize the safety of line crews and the public.
• If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off, but leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.
• Reminder: It's not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. Our line workers begin restoration work only when conditions are deemed safe.

Gas Safety:

If you suspect a natural gas leak:

• GetOut - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
• CallUs - After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency numbers: New England:1-800-640-1595
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

Additional safety information may be found at https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Storm-Safety/