National Grid Field Force of Close to 2,000 Workers Restoring Power As Powerful Wind Storm Continues to Impact Central and Eastern New York

Company urges ‘safety first’ after 80 mph wind gusts brought down trees, power lines

SYRACUSE, NY - A National Grid field force of close to 2,000 workers continues to be active across central and eastern New York removing downed wires, trees, tree limbs, broken poles and other hazards, focusing on public safety and restoring power to customers impacted by the ongoing, powerful wind storm that brought gusts of up to 80 mph today. The dangerous wind conditions are expected to continue throughout the evening, bringing the potential for further power interruptions in the region.

As of 3 p.m., National Grid has restored power to 65 percent of the nearly 73,000 central and eastern New York customers impacted by the storm. Given the significant damage to equipment and trees, combined with new outages from the sustained storm, crews will continue to work around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible in challenging conditions.

“This storm continues to impact our electricity system,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid’s New York vice president. “As anticipated we’re seeing cases of downed wires in addition to broken poles and uprooted trees on our power lines. Our crews will continue to be out there in full force bringing service back to customers as quickly as possible.”

The Restoration Process

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 come repairs to main transmission facilities, including towers, poles and high-tension wires that deliver power to thousands of customers. Recovery work at local substations also is a high priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires. Click here for an infographic on the company’s restoration process.

National Grid continues to work closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts.  Customers are reminded to remain aware of potential safety hazards such as damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven’t yet fallen to the ground. As always, all downed wires should be considered live and should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of storm cleanup, restoration times on National Grid’s Outage Central site may be listed as “assessing conditions.” This is because debris, such as trees, tree limbs, and downed wires, must be cleared away so that infrastructure damage can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.
• 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 that occur that are separate from the storm-related outages.
• Once restoration is completed, National Grid crews will remain in the field for a number of days as storm cleanup continues. The company urges drivers to use extreme caution as they approach work areas, to ensure the safety of utility and other storm-response personnel.
• 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 an Outage
• Any customer who remains without power when their neighbors have been restored should call us at 1-800-867-5222.

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.
• Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed lines should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.
• 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.)
• Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices.
• Please drive carefully and use caution when driving near any crews working to restore power.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

Stay informed and connected:

• 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.
• 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.
• Visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.

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