National Grid has increased staffing and is pre-positioning crews in anticipation of heavy rains and winds forecasted to impact portions of eastern New York on Friday. The remnants of Hurricane Nicole are expected to affect the region beginning late Friday afternoon and continuing into Saturday. Meteorologists predict strong winds with damaging gusts, rains capable of producing urban and flash floods, and the potential for hazardous lightning. In preparation, the company has activated its comprehensive emergency response plan, including:

• Securing external resources and mobilizing crews in areas anticipated to be most severely impacted.
• Pre-staging crews and materials.
• Proactively reaching out to elected, municipal and emergency management officials to keep them updated on our preparations and provide safety information.
• Reaching out directly to customers through traditional and social media, email and texts and on our website to provide safety information and to encourage them to be prepared.
• Conducting outbound calls to life support and critical facility customers to ensure they are prepared.

The company is prepared if the storm impacts the electricity system and encourages customers to keep safety a priority with the following reminders:

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.

• 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 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.
• Take care when driving on a road covered with wet leaves, which can reduce your vehicle’s traction and create road conditions similar to an icy surface.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

• Always assume a downed line is carrying live electricity.
• Never touch a person or an object that is in contact with a downed line, as electricity can pass through to you.
• Take caution when approaching fallen trees, which could have power lines caught in them.
• Remember that water can conduct electricity. If you see a line down in a puddle or flooded area, avoid contact with the water to prevent risk of shock.

Click here for details on the company’s storm preparation and restoration process. 

Stay Informed and Connected

• Customers with active electricity accounts who text ‘REG’ to 64743 can have personalized alerts sent to them via text, email or phone call when we detect an outage on their properties.
• 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.

• Customers can read the latest company news, check outage status and report an outage by using the National Grid app.
• Visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.

About National Grid