National Grid Restores Power to 95 Percent of Rhode Island Customers Impacted by Tropical Storm Henri
Aug 24, 2021 - 9:15 PM
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PROVIDENCE, RI – National Grid has restored service to 95 percent of the more than 116,000 Rhode Islanders impacted by the damaging wind and heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Henri on Sunday. Field-based personnel are continuing around-the-clock work that includes removing downed wires, trees, tree limbs, broken poles and other hazards after the storm brought wind gusts of up to 70 mph. National Grid employees from Massachusetts as well as outside contractors traveled to Rhode Island to support restoration efforts.
The hardest hit communities in Rhode Island included South Kingstown, Narragansett, Westerly, Jamestown, Charlestown and North Kingstown. Customers who remain without service as a result of the storm will have power restored hour-by-hour as crews continue the labor-intensive cleanup and restoration effort. Based on the current progress, National Grid is expecting full restoration by tomorrow.
The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into the “Report or Check Outage” page on National Grid’s Outage Central site. Customers who remain without power when their neighbors have been restored are encouraged to call National Grid at 1-800-465-1212.
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 is also a high priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires.
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 immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-465-1212 or by calling 911.
The Company offers the following additional tips and reminders to customers:
Electricity & Generator 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.
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.
Gas Safety:
- If you suspect a natural gas leak:
- Get Out - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
- Call Us – After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency number for New England at 1-800-640-1595.
- Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.
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
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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