Power Restoration Efforts for Eastern New York Continue High Wind Warnings Forecasted through Friday Evening

National Grid line, tree and service workers in eastern New York continue to focus on public safety as they remove downed wires, trees, tree limbs, broken poles and other hazards and restore service to customers impacted by the damaging wind storm that continues to impact the region. In addition to wind, severe flooding in some areas has made reaching damaged electric equipment even more challenging for National Grid crews. To date, crews have restored power to more than 73,000 of the 120,000 Capital Region customers impacted by the storm. 

The storm caused damage across the eastern NY region with Saratoga County being the hardest hit with more than 25,000 customers out earlier today.

The dangerous wind conditions, with gusts of more than 60 mph, are expected to continue through the evening, bringing the potential for further power interruptions across the area.

Given the significant damage to equipment and trees, combined with new outages from the sustained storm, crews will continue to work throughout the weekend to restore power in challenging conditions.

“Our crews will be out there bringing service back to customers as quickly and safely as possible,” said Laurie Poltynski, National Grid’s Regional Director for Eastern New York. “As the storm winds down, customers are reminded to be cautious of downed wires and other storm hazards, especially damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven’t yet fallen to the ground.  On Saturday, stations will be available where residents can retrieve dry ice and water to help as restoration efforts continue.”

Dry ice and water locations will be set up at the following locations:

Wells Fire Department, 1394 NY – 30, Wells, NY 12190

Saturday, Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. -3 p.m.

Wilton Fire Department, 270 Ballard Road, Wilton, NY 12831

Saturday, Nov. 2, from 12 noon – 4 p.m.

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 immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, 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.  Please see infographic below for a description of National Grid’s restoration process.
• 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 as the strong, damaging winds continue.
• 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.

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 before the storm.
• 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 can receive personalized alerts by text, email, and/or phone when an outage is detected at their property by enrolling in the company’s outage alert option. To register, text REG to 64743, enter your National Grid electricity account number and select your preferred method(s) of notification. 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.

About National Grid

About National Grid: National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

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