WALTHAM, MA – National Grid is preparing for a storm to impact Massachusetts Thursday evening through Saturday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain into the region during a busy holiday weekend.

The primary concerns associated with this storm are strong winds and heavy rains of up to 60 mph with potential for flooding in some regions. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly, as much as 30 degrees, overnight from Friday to Saturday. The wind gusts and freezing have the potential to damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages across the region. The storm is expected to clear Saturday.

“We recognize that many of our customers will have major plans for this weekend, and we’ll be ready to respond,” said Tanya Moniz-Witten, Vice President of New England Electric Operations.  “National Grid is monitoring the forecasts closely and we will have nearly 2,000 people in place across Massachusetts working for as long as needed to restore service as quickly as conditions allow.”

National Grid is preparing for this storm by securing 645 crews and more than 1,978 personnel as part of the company’s emergency response operations. The company is bringing in crews from as far away as Texas, Florida and Mississippi to assist with service restoration if needed.  This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers. 

Strong wind gusts are predicted to be sustained into Saturday morning.  Due to safety concerns, crews cannot work in elevated buckets during periods of increased wind gusts. National Grid line workers begin restoration work only when conditions are deemed safe.

The company has been preparing for the storm for several days, and is continuing to monitor the weather, communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers.

The Company offers the following tips and reminders:   

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 

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.   

Electric 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. 

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 numbers:
• New England:1-800-640-1595
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

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. 

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