WALTHAM, MA – National Grid is prepared for a forecasted blizzard expected to impact Massachusetts Sunday night through most of Monday, bringing heavy snow, powerful wind gusts, and concerns about coastal flooding. The Company has crews and personnel ready to respond to resulting power outages.

Wind gusts have the potential to damage trees and knock down power lines, causing power outages in impacted locations. Heavy snow can lead to sagging powerlines and tree limbs. Specific challenges for this storm include sustained winds, which are forecast to continue through Monday, combined with poor road conditions and low visibility due to the potential for up to two feet of snowfall in some areas.

"We encourage customers to prepare in the event of outages and to stay connected with us,” said Christopher Laird, Chief Operating Officer, National Grid New England Electric. "If you don’t need to be on the roads, please stay safe and stay home. If you do need to be on the roads, please ‘slow down and go around’ to give our crews extra room to work safely. Our crews and support teams will be working for as long as needed to restore service as quickly and safely as conditions allow.”

National Grid has prepared for the storm by securing additional crews and personnel as part of the company's emergency response operations and preparedness activities. This includes overhead and underground line workers for distribution and transmission restoration, tree trimming crews, and substation workers. As forecasts evolve, the company will continue to assess resource needs.

As always, the safety of our customers, communities, and crews is the top priority during any power restoration process. Our crews will begin the restoration process when it is deemed safe to conduct work. For example, it is not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts.

The company has been preparing for the storm and continues monitoring the weather and 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 complete list of commands 

Downed Powerline Safety:

• 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. 
• Stay at least 30 feet away (at least two full pole spans) from all downed wires and keep others from going near them. Never attempt to clear debris, perform maintenance, or try to move downed power lines. 
• 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.
• Make safety your top priority when you see a downed wire. Call 911 or National Grid at 1-800-465-1212 to report it immediately and keep yourself and others away from the scene. To learn more about downed power line safety, please visit ngrid.com/ma-powerlinesafety.

Stay Safe: 

• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it’s an excellent 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.   
• If the power is out, use flashlights or other battery-powered lights. Do not use candles, which can pose a fire hazard.
• 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.
• Please use caution when driving near emergency responders and crews restoring power.

Gas Safety

• Customers are reminded to keep all vents clear from accumulating snow and to test CO2 detectors to ensure they are operational.
• 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 number for Massachusetts: 1-800-233-5325
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) delivers electricity and natural gas to more than 20 million people across New York and Massachusetts. We’re committed to meeting our customers’ energy needs and supporting economic growth across the regions we serve—providing safe, reliable energy today and building the resilient networks of the future. National Grid Ventures, our commercial business, develops and operates infrastructure that delivers affordable and reliable energy to consumers. National Grid Partners, our corporate investment and innovation arm, invests in and collaborates with technology companies that are transforming the energy sector and accelerating industry-wide innovation.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on X, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find us on Instagram.