National Grid’s upstate New York field force of more than 3,200 workers has restored service to more than 80,000 of the 91,500 customers impacted by the destructive winter storm that affected Eastern and Northern New York on Friday.

The storm, which brought more than a foot of heavy, wet snow to the region with localized accumulations between 18 to 28 inches in some areas, caused widespread damage to the company’s electric transmission and distribution systems. In addition to downed wires, damaged trees and tree limbs, crews have been challenged by impassable roads and difficult-to-reach equipment repairs in remote areas.

The hardest hit areas were the Adirondacks and northern tier of New York; infrastructure in Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Warren and Washington counties all sustained damage.

“The damage to our infrastructure was significant, particularly in the most remote parts of our service area,” said Matt Barnett, Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “Safely restoring service in these areas could take significant time. We understand the inconvenience of being without power, and our crews are out in full force to restore to our customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

            The company is providing the following general estimated times of restoration for customers who remain without service. Power is being consistently restored to customers in these regions and ETRs are updated on the company’s Outage Central site. Additionally, customers can check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address by logging into our Report or Check an Outage page.

Eastern New York:

• Essex, Washington and Warren counties – 95% of affected customers in these counties will be restored by Sunday at 11:30 p.m.

Northern New York:

• Franklin and St. Lawrence counties – 95% of affected customers in these counties will be restored by Sunday at 6 p.m.
• Isolated and scattered single outages in the hardest hit areas will be restored overnight or into the Sunday morning.

The company’s extensive resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired.

Barnett added, “I want to extend my gratitude to the many police, fire, public works, municipal officials, and other volunteers who continue to support our customers and our communities during the post-storm recovery.”

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. 

Eastern New York Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations for December 18

Northern New York Dry Ice and Bottled Water Location for December 18

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 and heavy snowfall continues.
• 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 also encourages 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

• Always use extreme caution near downed power lines and wires, and always assume that they are carrying live electricity.
• Never touch a person or an object that is in contact with a downed line, as electricity can pass through to you.
• Take caution when approaching fallen trees, which could have power lines caught in them.
• Remember that water can conduct electricity. If you see a line down in a puddle or flooded area, avoid contact with the water to prevent risk of shock.
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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.

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

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