More than 2,800 National Grid workers remain active in challenging weather conditions as they clean up extensive storm damage and restore service after a sustained storm brought up to 10 inches of heavy, wet snow and wind gusts of more than 50 mph to areas across central, northern and eastern New York overnight. The company’s large field force includes additional contractors and utility workers from across the northeast and Canada.

Today’s added snow accumulation of six to 10 inches, high winds and reduced visibility, combined with closed and impassable roads and damaged equipment located in areas difficult to access by vehicle, continue to challenge crews as they remove downed wires, trees, tree limbs, broken poles and other hazards, repair equipment, and restore service.

As of 5 p.m., the company has restored power to nearly 120,000 of the 189,000 customers affected by the storm’s damage. Among the hardest hit areas are Fulton, Herkimer and Oneida counties in the Mohawk Valley; Essex, Franklin, Saratoga and Warren counties in the Adirondacks; and Schenectady County in the Capital Region.

“Our top priority is public safety as our field force restores service and cleans up the widespread tree and power line damage across the region,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “The weight of the snow, combined with strong winds, caused extensive tree and line damage. Blocked and closed roads are among some of the difficult conditions our crews are facing as they try to reach damaged infrastructure located off roadways and in remote or wooded areas.”

Detailed damage assessments are ongoing so that updated restoration times can be provided. Some outages in the hardest-hit and hardest-to-access areas could potentially extend beyond 48 hours.  Crews will continue to work around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible in the challenging conditions.

National Grid is working closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts and secure hazards, including downed lines.

Customers are reminded to be 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 and should immediately be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911. 

Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations

National Grid will distribute dry ice and bottled water at targeted locations hit hardest by the storm. Customers are asked to bring a cooler or paper grocery bags to transport dry ice to their homes, and company personnel will provide information about its proper handling.

Mohawk Valley Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations for April 20

Eastern New York Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations for April 20

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 comes 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 high priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires. Click here for a video on how National Grid restores power after a storm.

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, the 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 company is also encouraging customers to keep safety a priority with the following reminders:

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 working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices before the storm.
• 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.

Click here for details on the company’s storm preparation and restoration process. 

Stay informed and connected

• Customers with active electricity accounts who text ‘REG’ to 64743 can have personalized alerts sent to them via text, email or phone call when we detect an outage on their properties.
• 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 sign up for email alerts.
• Customers can read the latest company news, check outage status and report an outage by using the National Grid app.
• Visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.

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.