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National Grid Works to Restore Power Following Severe Thunderstorms in Western New York
National Grid Works to Restore Power Following Severe Thunderstorms in Western New York

August 10,2009

National Grid is making progress in restoring service following a severe thunderstorm that produced heavy lightning, intense rains, strong winds and flash flooding throughout Western New York Sunday. The company cautions, however, that several road closures and flooding have significantly affected restoration efforts in the southwest region of the state.

As of 3 p.m. today, the company has restored service to more than 13,000 homes and businesses throughout Western New York, down from a peak of more than 21,000 who were without power late Sunday. Restoration work will continue overnight and into Tuesday, with completion of major restoration projected for Tuesday night in the hardest hit areas in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. More storms are forecasted for Monday, which could affect restoration and produce additional damage.

National Grid has mobilized all available local resources, and has deployed additional crews from other upstate New York regions to the restoration effort. Customers without service can contact the company at 1-800-867-5222.

Safety and preparedness are primary concerns in a major storm, and National Grid is urging its customers to use extreme caution in the storm damage areas. National Grid offers the following tips for customers to minimize inconvenience and maximize safety in the event that storm-related power interruptions do occur.

  • 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.
  • If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to only operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, 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 jeopardize the safety of crews working to restore power.
  • 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.
  • 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 National Grid life support customer, call the company’s Customer Service Center. In New York, that number is 1-800-642-4272.

    • Time-Tested Plan Restores Power Quickly

    National Grid emergency crews follow a time-tested plan to begin restoring service as safely and quickly as conditions allow. Accurate damage surveys, resource assessments and restoration estimates are critical in the preliminary stages of any major weather event. Credible and consistent communication with local public officials and the media is maintained throughout the duration of the restoration effort.

    First, our crews clear away hazards such as live, downed lines. The clean-up of storm-damaged trees and branches removed from our electric equipment remains the responsibility of the customer or property owner, whether private or municipal.

    Next come repairs to main transmission equipment, including towers, poles and high-tension wires that deliver power from generating plants. Recovery work at local substations is also a high priority, because power flows from transmission lines through substations on its way to you.

    Circuits and transformers in neighborhoods and the wires that connect them to your home come next—starting with areas that involve the most customers.

    While waiting for your power to return, please know that we’re doing everything we can to restore electric service as quickly as possible.

    National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.