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 broken poles after damaging wind and rain from Tropical Storm Isaias swept across the region yesterday. Crews worked through the night in challenging conditions and have restored service to more than 90 percent of the nearly 50,000 National Grid customers affected across the area.

Less than 4,000 customers remain without service in the hardest-hit areas of Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties are expected to have power restored hour-by-hour as crews continue the labor-intensive cleanup and restoration effort. The company has added additional National Grid crews from other areas of New York State to support the restoration effort. The majority of customers are expected to have service restored late tonight. 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 damage that Tropical Storm Isaias left in its wake along the eastern seaboard has also brought significant damage to the region,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s Regional Director of Electric Operations. “We are working closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts. Safety is our top priority.”

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers should call National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 to expedite restoration.
• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors. 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.
• Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed lines should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or to your local emergency response organization.
• 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 1-800-642-427. (In a medical emergency, always dial 911.)
• Keep a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home.
• Please drive carefully and use caution when driving near any repair crews working to restore power.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

 Stay Connected

National Grid offers several ways to stay informed and safe – before, during and after a storm:

• For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit the Outage Central section of www.nationalgridus.com. Customers who create an online profile on our website can also sign up for email alerts.
• To receive text message alerts and updates from National Grid, text the word STORM to NGRID (64743).
• Other ways to stay in touch: Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nationalgridus or friend us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/nationalgrid

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