Additional crews in place, customers reminded to prepare for possible outages

August 4, 2020                                                                                                               CONTACT: Media Relations - 781- 907-3980

WALTHAM, MA – National Grid is preparing for severe weather in New England as Tropical Storm Isaias makes its way up the coast. Strong winds and some coastal flooding are expected to impact the region Tuesday evening.  

“As always, we’re monitoring the forecasts closely and we have nearly 2,500 personnel in place across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to respond as quickly and safely as we can,” said Michael McCallan, Vice President of New England Electric Operations. “The COVID-19 pandemic presents a different set of challenges for storm preparation, but we have adjusted accordingly to ensure that we are taking care of our customers.” 

As a result of the pandemic, thousands of traditionally office-based employees have transitioned to working from home, while field employees have continued to perform essential services in accordance with state guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) safety guidance. Employees adhere to all the pandemic safety protocols including social distancing guidelines and protocols, and the use of PPE and health screening checks, required by the states in which National Grid operates. 

Wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour are possible and could cause significant tree damage and power outages. The Company is reminding customers to prepare themselves for severe weather and offers the following tips and reminders: 
 

Customers Should Stay Connected:  

• Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212. 
• Use your mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid’s mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile. 
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram; we post all the latest storm and restoration updates. 
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central 
• To stay connected during storms and outages, text to 64743 using any of the below commands. 
• REG to sign up for text alerts 
• OUT to report an outage 
• SUM followed by your town, county, or state to get a summary of outages in your area 
• HELP for the full list of commands 

Stay 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. 
• 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. 

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