National Grid: Energy Delivery
 
News Releases
National Grid Offers Tips to Prepare for Power Outages in Anticipation of Severe Weather
National Grid Offers Tips to Prepare for Power Outages in Anticipation of Severe Weather

August 21,2009

National Grid’s Emergency Preparedness, Operations and other teams have been following forecasts of thunderstorms and potentially heavy rains that could impact upstate New York today.

The inclement weather is moving up the East Coast, with the most severe effects anticipated in the Capital Region this afternoon and later tonight. In preparation for the storms, the company has developed early response plans, including the staffing of additional crews through the evening hours.

Safety and preparedness are primary concerns in a major storm, and National Grid is urging its customers to use extreme 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 at 1-800-867-5222 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.

    • 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.