National Grid Ready for High Winds Expected in New England through Monday

Extra crews available to handle any service interruptions

WALTHAM, MASS. – As of midday on Sunday, National Grid customers in New England have not seen many service interruptions from this latest storm. However, while the snow may be winding down, the winds have the potential to pick up and remain high through Monday, with gusts possibly reaching 60 miles per hour. National Grid is ready.

According to Dan Bunszell, National Grid’s vice president of Electric Operations for New England, approximately 400 line crews and about 165 tree crews are available to handle any outages that occur as a result of the high winds.

“As always, our focus is on being ready to restore power, and on the safety of our employees and contractors, customers and the public,” Bunszell commented. “I urge everyone to use extreme caution if they must be driving or moving around outside as the high winds are hindering visibility and making travel difficult.”

In some areas high winds may mean crews will have to wait for the winds to subside to safe levels before they can address outages. Sustained winds greater than 35 mph can cause safety hazards for crews working in elevated line truck buckets and may cause the vehicles to become unstable.

As snow totals continue to mount this winter, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning caused by blocked vents to natural gas appliances and the buildup of snow and ice over natural gas meters and gas and electric service lines remains a threat. National Grid urges customers to clear snow from gas meters and remove any snow and ice that could fall on them.

Customers Urged to Stay Safe During and After the Storm

• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it’s an especially good idea to keep a supply of bottled drinking water handy, as well as some canned food.
• People who depend on electricity-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, call the company’s New England Customer Service Center at 1-800-322-3223.
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.

Electricity & generator safety

• If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating a generator, 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.
• If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off, but leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.
• Remember, it’s not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. Our line workers begin restoration work only when conditions are deemed safe.

Gas safety

• The buildup of ice and snow around or over gas meters and vents for natural gas appliances could pose a serious safety risk. Ice and snow falling from a roof can damage gas meters or service connections to customers’ homes or businesses, resulting in a gas leak.
• Ice and snow blocking vents could cause CO to back up into a building and result in carbon monoxide poisoning for those inside.
• To avoid these dangers, National Grid advises natural gas customers to closely inspect areas around and over gas meters, service hook-ups and vents for ice and snow that could damage equipment or prevent CO from properly venting.
• National Grid advises that you take immediate action anytime you suspect a natural gas leak:
• Get Out - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Open windows to ventilate. 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: Greater Boston area: 1-800-233-5325; All other areas: 1-800-548-8000
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

Carbon Monoxide

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those of the flu. Depending upon the amount of carbon monoxide in the air and length of exposure, symptoms may include headaches, weakness, confusion, chest tightness, skin redness, dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, fluttering of the heart or loss of muscle control. If you suspect carbon monoxide is present in your home, go outside immediately and breathe deeply; then call 911. If symptoms are severe, get medical attention.

Stay Connected to National Grid

National Grid provides multiple channels for customers to learn about service issues and interruptions during storms. Customers can follow the storm on their mobile devices by using the National Grid mobile app or texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). The company provides real time outage information on its Outage Central web site at nationalgridus.com/OutageCentral. National Grid also provides storm and restoration updates through Facebook and Twitter.