National Grid Restores Power to 64,000 Central New York Customers Impacted by Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes
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National Grid’s field force of more than 3,000 highly skilled workers continues to battle challenging conditions as they restore service to customers affected by Tuesday’s destructive thunderstorms that included a National Weather Service confirmed EF2 tornado in the city of Rome.
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, the company restored service to nearly 185,000 of the more than 205,000 upstate New York customers affected by the storm. In Central New York, 64,200 of the 71,300 impacted customers have had power restored.
The line of destructive thunderstorms spawned multiple tornadoes and microbursts, including an EF2 tornado with winds of 135 mph that struck the city of Rome. In addition to causing houses and buildings to collapse, roofs to blow off and church steeples to topple, the storm caused significant damage to National Grid’s transmission and distribution systems. Damage to transmission lines required specialized crews and off-road equipment to access and repair these high-voltage lines.
Crews have been cleaning up debris and making extensive repairs, including removing and replacing more than 130 broken utility poles, downed wires, transformers, and other equipment. Teams working in the field have faced impassable roads and difficult-to-reach equipment in remote areas. The hardest hit areas in the region include Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties.
“Our teams have confronted a number of challenges as a result of this storm due to tornado’s impacts in Oneida County,” said Matt Barnett, Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “In addition to significant tree damage, our crews have encountered parts of buildings blocking roads and impeding access to our infrastructure.”
Estimated Times of Restoration for Mohawk Valley Customers
The company is providing the following general estimated times of restoration for customers who remain without service in the Mohawk Valley. Power is being consistently restored to customers in this region 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.
Customers without service in the hardest hit areas of Madison, Herkimer and Oneida counties are projected to have power restored by 11:30 p.m. Friday.
“We expect to make significant progress in the Mohawk Valley today with remaining customers in the hardest hit areas to be restored by 11:30 p.m. tomorrow,” Barnett said. “We will work tirelessly to accelerate these restoration times to every extent possible.”
Barnett added, “I want to extend my gratitude to the many police, fire, public works, elected officials, and other volunteers who continue to support our customers and our communities during the post-storm recovery. Their cooperation has been essential to our restoration efforts.”
Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations
National Grid will distribute dry ice and bottled water at 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 the proper handling of dry ice.
All locations open July 18, 2024
Additional distribution sites and times may be announced depending on community needs. Today’s locations, as well as any new sites, will be listed on National Grid’s Outage Map, on the company’s X and Facebook accounts, and announced to media via press releases.
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 about 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. inclement weather persists. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur if more storms impact the region.
- 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.
- Click here for more downed power line safety tips.
Gas Safety Reminders
It is important to act quickly and safely when you suspect a natural gas leak. National Grid and other gas delivery companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to natural gas to give it a distinct, pungent odor similar to rotten eggs. If you suspect a gas leak, it is important that everyone in your home exit the property immediately without:
- Touching any electrical or light switches, doorbells, phones, or anything that could cause a spark, including any appliances or thermostats
- Turning any electrical equipment on or off
- Pulling plugs from outlets
- Smoking or lighting matches
- Re-entering until you receive authorization from National Grid or emergency responders
Call National Grid’s gas emergency line at 800-892-2345 or 911 immediately after exiting and getting a safe distance from the building.
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 X and friend us on Facebook.
- Click here for details on the company’s storm preparation and restoration process.
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 and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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