National Grid has deployed nearly 3,300 line, tree, and public safety specialists to assess damage, clean up debris and restore power to customers caused by a multi-day windstorm affecting Upstate New York.

As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, National Grid has restored service to more than 112,000 of the 145,000 customers affected by the storm. Many areas of Upstate New York have been impacted by wind gusts exceeding 70 mph, resulting in fallen trees, snapped tree limbs, broken utility poles, and downed power lines. The hardest hit areas since Sunday include Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, and Orleans counties in Western New York; Franklin and St. Lawrence counties in Northern New York; and Albany, Essex, Franklin, Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren counties in Eastern New York.

National Grid crews from across New York were positioned in advance of the storm and have been supplemented with resources from Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec to expand the company’s response.

“Our team has been in the field, working non-stop since Friday when the first outages struck Western New York,” said Tom Gozelski, National Grid Lead Director of New York Electric Operations. “We remain focused on restoring power as safely and quickly as possible. With that in mind, we ask our customers to please drive slowly and cautiously when approaching utility crews at work and to abide by road closures or restrictions due to damaged trees or infrastructure.”

Dry Ice and Bottled Water Locations

National Grid will distribute dry ice and bottled water on March 18 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at targeted 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 its proper handling.

Dry Ice and Bottled Water Distribution Sites for March 18, 2026, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Chestertown (Warren County): Pottersville Volunteer Fire Dept., 20 Valley Farm Rd.
• Queensbury (Warren County): West Glens Fall Fire Co. No. 1, 33 Luzerne Rd.

Additional distribution sites and times may be announced depending on community needs. All sites are 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

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 winds continue or other weather hazards emerge.

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 is also 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.

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.

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

As always, 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.

• 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.

Learn more about downed power line safety at our website.

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.
• 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.

• Customers can read 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) 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.