National Grid Prepares for Potential Ice Storm to Hit Monday and into Tuesday Feb 15, 2021 - 03:30 PM

CONTACT: Media Relations - 781-907-3980

WALTHAM, MA - National Grid is preparing for a storm that will arrive in New England this evening and continue through tomorrow. The storm is forecast to bring a mix of snow, freezing rain, sleet, and rain across Massachusetts and into northwest Rhode Island.

The primary concerns associated with this storm are a risk of ice accumulation and wind gusts that could range from 30-40 mph, potentially damaging trees and knocking down wires. This could contribute to power outages across the region. Calmer weather is expected Tuesday afternoon.

'As always, we're monitoring the forecasts closely and we have nearly 2,700 personnel in place across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to respond as quickly and safely as we can,' said Michael McCallan, Vice President of New England Electric Operations.

National Grid is preparing for this storm by securing 2,681 field-based employees as part of our emergency response operations. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers.  Crews will be dispatched beginning tonight and into Tuesday morning.

The company has been preparing for the storm for several days, and is continuing to monitor the weather, communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers.

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

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.
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.

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Disclaimer

National Grid plc published this content on 15 February 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 February 2021 20:34:08 UTC.