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National Grid Urges Safety as High Winds Begin to Sweep Across Upstate New York

Mar 08, 2017

Early Wind Damage Causing Outages; Crews and Equipment Mobilized


Strong winds across large portions of National Grid’s upstate New York service area have started to affect electric service for customers, and could continue well into this evening and overnight. The company has mobilized field crews and support personnel to address outages and equipment damage, and is urging customers to be safe during this event.

Early gusts have already affected service in western New York, particularly in northern counties. The company has received numerous reports of down limbs and branches, and in some cases entire trees.

Forecasts call for high winds to continue to move east across the state, with temperatures expected to drop significantly overnight. As a result, other areas could experience power interruptions, and National Grid wants its customers to be both prepared and safe.

“Our first priority is always the safety of the public, our customers, and our employees,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid’s New York vice president. “We have been tracking this front, and have the plans in place to make sure our crews are ready to respond as quickly and safely as possible.”

National Grid has invested more than $3 billion dollars in strengthening its upstate New York electricity and gas system in the past five years.

Electric Safety

National Grid asks customers to stay alert for electricity service interruptions:

  • Keep National Grid’s power outage reporting number – 1-800-867-5222 – on hand in case needed. In an outage, our customers should call this number immediately to expedite restoration.

  • If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to only operate it outdoors. Regardless of ventilation, never operate a generator indoors. 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.

  • Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. If you see a downed line, report it immediately to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or your local emergency response organization.

  • Keep a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home. A radio is a good way to stay informed, as National Grid keeps news media up-to-date on service restoration efforts.

  • In case an outage is prolonged, keep a supply of bottled drinking water handy, along with some canned food and a manual can opener.

  • Our customers who depend on electrically powered life support equipment, such as a respirator should register as a life support customer by calling National Grid’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-642-4272. (In a medical emergency, always dial 911.)

National Grid also advises staying tuned to local media for important announcements from emergency officials about possible evacuations or other emergency procedures. In most areas, information on storm shelter locations is available by calling 211. Also, please check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance in a service outage.

Stay Connected

National Grid offers several ways to stay informed and safe – before, during and after a storm:

    • For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit the Outage Central section of our website, www.nationalgridus.com.Customers who create an online profile on our website can also sign up for email alerts.

    • To receive text message alerts and updates from National Grid, text the word STORM to NGRID (64743).

    • Online and text alert services can be started and stopped at the customer’s request.

    • Other ways to stay in touch:

Click here for a video on how National Grid restores power after a major storm.

Categories:

Upstate NY