National Grid crews remain in the field completing repairs related to strong winds Friday evening and Saturday, but preparations are underway for a second, potentially more damaging wind event that will impact Upstate New York. The National Weather Service has posted high wind warnings and wind advisories across the region, and forecasters predict wind gusts may exceed 60 mph beginning Sunday evening and continuing through Tuesday morning.

The early weekend storm caused more than 27,000 outages across the region, with damage concentrated primarily in Western New York; dozens of poles and transformers were replaced in response. Crews were effectively pre-staged to expedite repairs, resulting in faster, safe restoration of service.

External resources have been secured to support potential power restoration efforts. The company also has activated its comprehensive emergency response plan, including:

• Mobilizing internal line, field and tree crews, and securing external resources.
• Pre-staging crews, equipment, and materials in areas anticipated to be most severely impacted.
• Proactively reaching out to elected, municipal and emergency management officials to keep them updated on our preparations and provide safety information.
• Reaching out directly to customers through traditional and social media channels, email and texts, and on our website to provide safety information and to urge them to be prepared.
• Conducting outbound calls to life support and critical facility customers to ensure they are prepared.
  
  

“Some of our most volatile storms happen during this time of year, as we alternate between the remnants of winter and the advance of warmer spring-like weather,” said Tom Gozelski, National Grid New York’s Lead Director of Electric Operations. “Having one severe weather event immediately follow another is not ideal, but our crews are ready to restore service quickly and safely should we experience outages.”

Gozelski added, “I want to thank our communities and their leaders for their patience and cooperation this weekend, and ask for them to keep our field force in mind as we prepare to respond over the next few days.”

The company will continue to closely monitor weather forecasts and encourages customers to make safety their priority with the following reminders:

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 see a downed power line, dial 911 or call National Grid at 800-867-5222 to report it.
  
  

Learn more about downed power line safety on our website.

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 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.
• 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.
• 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.