National Grid’s field force of more than 2,500 line, tree, damage and public safety specialists have been working around the clock in the face of hazardous heat to clear trees and tree branches, and repair downed power lines and broken equipment to restore service to customers in Central New York.

As of 3:30 p.m., crews have restored power to nearly 115,000 of the over 121,000 customers (95%) who lost service after the heavy rains and high winds, including an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 105 mph in Clark Mills, struck the region.

This combination of elements caused extensive, widespread damage, and fallen trees and associated debris created access issues for company crews.

National Grid’s field force from across New York was pre-positioned in advance of the storm and has been supplemented with outside resources from across the northeast and Canada.

“I'd like to thank our customers for their support and patience, especially given the extreme heat and humidity we've experienced the last couple of days,” said Zach Butcher, National Grid Director of Electric Maintenance. “Our commitment to restoring power as safely and quickly as possible is a serious responsibility and remains our top priority.”

Butcher added, “Strong relationships with local municipal governments, police, fire and public works departments, and volunteer groups are essential during storms and we thank these community partners for their hard work and unwavering dedication to serve our customers and communities.”

Estimated Times of Restoration for Central New York Customers

The company is providing the following general estimated times of restoration for customers who remain without service in Central New York. Power is being consistently restored across the 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.

National Grid customers in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties who remain without service due to the storm are projected to have power restored by 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24. Isolated small pockets of outages in the hardest-to-access areas could potentially extend into Wednesday.

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

Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations

National Grid will distribute dry ice, frozen ice and bottled water on Wednesday, June 25 at the following locations and times:

Madison County
Canastota: VFW Post 600, 3835 Canal Rd.; 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Oneida County
Clark Mills: Clark Mills Volunteer Fire Dept.; 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Rome: 207 N. James St., adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park; 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

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.

            Additional distribution sites and times may be announced depending on community needs. These locations, and 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.

            National Grid will also list the locations of community-based cooling centers on the Outage Map as we learn about them.

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.
• If you encounter a downed line, keep everyone away and report it to us at 1-800-867-5222 or 911 immediately.

The Restoration Process

When it is safe to do so, 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 come repairs to the facilities that serve the largest number of customers such as main transmission facilities, followed by recovery work at local substations and repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires. Click here to learn more about the company’s restoration process.

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, 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 infrastructure damage can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.
• It's normal for outage numbers and estimated restoration times  to fluctuate. The numbers can go up and down as lines are de-energize to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur if additional 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.

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.
• Stay tuned to local news outlets or the National Weather Service for storm updates, weather alerts.
• Keep working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices.
• If the power is out, use flashlights or other battery-powered lights. Do not use candles, which can pose a fire hazard.
• 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.

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 check outage status, report an outage and see the latest storm-related news releases from the company by using the updated National Grid app, free to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• Visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, follow us on X and like 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.