Hundreds of National Grid workers remain active amid challenging conditions as they remove downed wires, trees, tree limbs, broken poles and other hazards, while focusing on public safety and service restoration after a winter storm brought heavy, wet snow to areas of eastern New York beginning Friday evening. The company’s field force, which was pre-positioned in advance of the storm, includes additional outside resources as well as National Grid restoration crews from across upstate New York and Massachusetts.

Through 5 p.m., the company has restored power to nearly 53,000 of the 72,700 eastern New York customers affected by storm damage. Among the hardest hit areas were Albany, Saratoga and Schenectady counties.

“Public safety is our top priority as our crews are in the field removing debris, repairing widespread damage and restoring service across the region,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “The snow’s weight damaged our transmission and distribution systems, and many of these points are located in difficult-to-reach areas off roadways and in remote or wooded areas.”

Restoration for customers without service in the hardest hit areas of Albany and Schenectady counties is estimated to be complete by 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Isolated and scattered single customer outages in the hardest-to-access areas could potentially extend into early Monday morning. National Grid crews are working around the clock and will do everything within their control to complete restoration as quickly and as safely as possible. 

Customers who remain without service when their neighbors have been restored should call National Grid at 1-800-867-5222.

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.

National Grid is working closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts. 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. Learn more about downed power line safety at our website.

Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations

National Grid will distribute dry ice and bottled water at targeted locations hit hardest by the storm from noon to 4 p.m. on March 5. 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. These locations have also been designated as warming shelters by their respective counties and are open to residents.

Eastern New York Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations for March 5

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.

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.

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. 

-###-

About National Grid