National Grid Preparing for Winter Storm Grayson

Company collaborating with local, state agencies on response to heavy snowfall, damaging winds

January 4, 2018 (as of 10 a.m.) – WALTHAM, MA – National Grid is preparing for the first major winter storm of 2018 that arrived in New England early Thursday morning and will continue throughout the day.  Winter Storm Grayson is expected to bring potential blizzard-like conditions including heavy snowfall, damaging winds, and coastal flooding in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Current forecasts indicate that Winter Storm Grayson could cause extensive damage to our electrical system, with the potential for a multi-day restoration effort.  We are collaborating with local state agencies and municipalities to ensure that we are well-prepared for the storm and its potential aftermath.

“National Grid will be part of a region-wide, team effort to keep our customers and employees safe during this storm,” said Jeff Merritt, director of Electric Operations and the storm’s incident commander for National Grid in New England. “We are confident that these partnerships will help us to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.”

Preparation by the numbers:

We have 212 total internal line crews and 371 total external line crews in New England, prepared to respond once conditions are safe to do so:

MA

• 144 internal line crews
• 145 external line crews
• 77 additional external line crews to support MA and RI as needed
• 60 wires down crews
• 142 tree crews
• 40 damage assessment crews to support MA and RI as needed

RI

• 68 internal line crews
• 149 external line crews
• 77 additional external line crews to support MA and RI as needed
• 63 wires down crews
• 55 tree crews
• 40 damage assessment crews to support MA and RI as needed

We are keeping safety a priority:

We urge customers to watch out for their own wellbeing and the safety of utility crews working during storms. Here are some tips to help keep everyone safe:

• Never touch downed power lines, and always assume that any fallen lines are live electric wires. If you see one, report it immediately to National Grid or your local emergency response organization. To report an outage, call 1-800-465-1212.
• 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 electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, 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 period.

Electric safety

• 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.
• 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.
• Reminder: 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

• Natural gas customers should 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.

• 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 numbers:

  • Rhode Island:1-800-640-1595
  • MA: 1-800-233-5325

• 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 right away.

How to Report / Check an Outage

• Customers can report a power outage in three ways:
• Log into the report/check outage page on our website.
• Go to the National Grid app and click on “report outage.” (Our free mobile app is available from the iTunes and GooglePlay stores.)

• Call 1-800-465-1212.
• Customers can check when power will be restored to their specific address by logging into the report/check outage page on our website. This is the most accurate way for customers to check on their estimated restoration time (ETR). Outage Central is handy for showing ETRs for communities, and reflects the estimated time for the last customer in that community to have power restored.

• At the start of a storm or outage, ETRs may be listed as “assessing conditions.” This is because the damage to our infrastructure must be assessed and reported prior to any restoration taking place. Safety is also a first priority, and crews will not begin restoring power until the conditions are safe to do. During this time, 911 and downed power line calls are also the priority.

• It's normal for outage numbers and ETRs to fluctuate. The numbers can go up and down as we de-energize lines to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages independent of the storm or original event.

We are updating our customers:

• It is a good idea to ensure all mobile devices in your home are fully charged prior to the storm.
• Receive broadcast state level text message alerts and updates when you text the word STORM to NGRID (64743).
• Use your mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid’s mobile site accessible at: ngrid.com/mobile.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram, where we post all the latest storm and restoration updates.