ALBANY, NY – More than 1,700 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, broken poles, and other hazards after a sudden and severe storm swept across the region yesterday. Crews worked through the night in challenging conditions and have restored service to nearly 75,000 of the more than 200,000 National Grid customers affected across the area.

“This is one of the most damaging storms we have seen in eastern New York in a very long time,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “We continue to prioritize public safety as we clean up the widespread damage that includes uprooted trees and downed power lines. In addition to these critical public safety activities, we are assessing the damage to our system and equipment in order to provide estimated restoration times.”   

Barnett noted that cleanup, reconstruction, and restoration will be labor-intensive and time-consuming, with some outages in the hardest-hit areas of eastern New York potentially extending beyond 48 hours. He added that hundreds of additional contractors are arriving today and tomorrow to support the restoration efforts. Areas experiencing the most intense storm damage include Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Columbia, and Montgomery Counties.

National Grid continues to work closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts.  Customers are reminded to remain aware of potential safety hazards such as damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven’t yet fallen to the ground. As always, all downed wires should be considered live and dangerous. All downed wires should immediately be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911. 

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, restoration times on National Grid’s Outage Central site may be listed as “assessing conditions.” This is because debris such as trees, tree limbs, and downed wires, must be cleared away so that damage to our equipment can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed. 
• It's normal for outage numbers and Estimated Restoration Times to fluctuate as we de-energize lines to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur if strong, damaging winds continue.

• Outage Central Reminder: Our Outage Central page shows the estimated time of restoration for communities and reflects the estimated time for the last customer in that community to have power restored. 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 Outage page.

The Restoration Process

The company’s first priority is to ensure the safety of our customers and our crews by clearing away dangers such as live, downed power lines. Next come repairs to main transmission facilities, including towers, poles, and high-tension wires that deliver power to thousands of customers. Recovery work at local substations also is a top priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers, and service wires. Click here for information about the company’s restoration process.
         

   As restoration work continues, National Grid continues to urge the public to be cautious around downed wires and debris, and offers the following safety tips:

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.

• 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 by calling 911.
• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. 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.
• 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 1-800-642-4272. (In a medical emergency, always dial 911.)
• Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home.
• Charge all electronic devices.
• Please use caution when driving near emergency responders and crews restoring power.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors, and others who may need assistance during an outage.  

Stay informed and connected:

• Customers can receive personalized alerts by text, email, and/or phone when an outage is detected at their property by enrolling in the company’s outage alert option. To register, text REG to 64743, enter your National Grid electricity account number, and select your preferred method(s) of notification. Customers also can text OUT to 64743 to report an outage.
• For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit National Grid’s Outage Central website. Customers who create an online profile also can register to receive email alerts.

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 and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.