WALTHAM, MA – National Grid’s emergency management and damage assessment teams are actively engaged in the statewide response to address outages caused by the historic blizzard that impacted Massachusetts on Monday. Over 561 field crews are responding to power outages caused by heavy snow and high winds that downed limbs, trees, and poles. Since Monday morning, more than 94,000 National Grid customers experienced outages during the blizzard, with electricity restored to over 71,000 as of 7:00 a.m. today.

National Grid has been planning extensively for this storm over the past week, coordinating staffing, materials, and response plans, including arranging mutual aid contractor crews from out of state to support restoration efforts. To support restoration efforts on Nantucket, National Grid pre‑positioned crews on the island ahead of the storm and is sending an additional 10 utility and forestry crews today, as crews continue to address damage caused by wind gusts that exceeded 80 mph yesterday. National Grid expects this to be a multi-day response, with most impacted customers restored within approximately two days, though timelines will vary based on damage and access.

“This was a powerful and damaging storm, and our crews have been working around the clock as conditions allow to restore service safely,” said Chris Laird, Chief Operating Officer of National Grid New England Electric. “We planned extensively for this event, staged crews ahead of time, and now we’re fully focused on a multi‑day restoration effort to get customers back online as quickly and safely as possible.”

The most up-to-date information on outages can be found on National Grid US’s website at:

https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Outage-Central/Outage-Map.  

Monday’s storm featured significant snowfall and strong winds, including a maximum gust of 83 mph reported on Nantucket and sustained winds of over 40 mph across National Grid’s service territory. With wind speeds now below 35 mph, crews are able to resume the use of bucket trucks and on-pole operations to restore power to customers.

Throughout the storm National Grid prioritized public safety, working with local and state agencies throughout the storm to respond to emergency 911 and wires down calls to assess damage, clear downed trees, and repair electrical infrastructure where conditions were deemed safe to do so. That work will enable the restoration process to proceed more safely and efficiently today and over the coming days. The attached graphic was created by National Grid to highlight the utility’s storm recovery and restoration process.

During the storm, National Grid’s technical operations teams were able to utilize automated Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) technologies to keep customers connected. The FLISR systems allow for remote identification of faults on power lines, leading to automated programs that can locate and isolate issues within the system, allowing for the re-routing of service with an extremely limited interruption to customers. If faults cannot be addressed remotely, the FLISR system allows for faster marshaling of crews to address problems. In the first 24 hours of the storm, ten FLISR operations restored power to over 12,000 customers automatically, saving time and resources.

Safety a Top Priority

Over the coming days, National Grid encourages customers to stay vigilant in managing the impacts from the blizzard, including spotting of storm hazards, electric/gas outages, and other public safety challenges. The company will continue to monitor the weather over the coming days and update local officials, first responders, and life support customers on the progress of restoration efforts and other customer-focused support programs.

Stay Connected with National Grid

• 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 at ngrid.com/mobile.
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central.
• To stay connected during outages, text ‘64743’ with any of the commands below:
• REG to sign up for text alerts
• OUT to report an outage
• STAT to get a status of your 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
   
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find the latest storm and restoration updates.

Ensuring Customer Safety

• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it’s a good idea to procure bottled drinking water, as well as canned food, for the duration of an outage and the days after restoration. 
• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should contact National Grid. To register as a life support customer, please 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. 

Electric Safety Reminders

• Never touch downed power lines. Always assume that any fallen lines are live electric wires. If you see a downed wire, report it immediately to National Grid or to your local public safety agency. 
• 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. 

Gas Safety Reminders

• 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 New England: 1-800-640-1595.
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.
  
  
• Remember to clear all vents around the outside of your home, particularly due to wind-blown snow drifts potentially impacting gas and dryer vents on the outside of homes and businesses.

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.

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