ALBANY, N.Y. – National Grid’s eastern New York crews have restored service to more than 29,500 of the 42,800 customers impacted by severe thunderstorms Thursday evening and Friday morning. The storms included wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and heavy lightning in some areas, and brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines across the region. The company increased staffing and work shifts in preparation for the storms, and has secured additional crews that will continue to work around the clock until all customers are returned to service.

Damage in the region was widespread, though the hardest hit areas are Columbia, Rensselaer and Warren counties. The company's workforce is removing hazards, making repairs and restoring service hour-by-hour in these regions. The labor-and time-intensive work, particularly in rural locations, involves rebuilding portions of the electricity infrastructure, including replacing broken poles and damaged equipment. Additionally, access to these areas has been impeded by impassable tree-blocked and flooded roads.

National Grid customers in the impacted counties — particularly, Columbia County, which saw the most extensive damage from this powerful storm — should expect to have their power restored by 11:30 p.m. Friday. There is the potential for some isolated pockets and single customer outages in the hardest hit areas to extend into Saturday.

Power is being consistently restored to customers in these regions and ETRs are updated on the company’s Outage Central site. Additionally, customers can check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address by logging into our Report or Check an Outage page. The company’s extensive resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired.

“We are grateful to our Eastern New York customers for their patience and understanding after this destructive storm. Our crews will do everything within their control to complete restoration as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “We also send our appreciation to the many police, fire, public works, municipal officials, and other volunteers who are supporting our customers and our communities during the restoration process.”

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.

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.

The company is providing the following safety 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.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

• Always use extreme caution near downed power lines and wires, and always assume that they are 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.
• Learn more about downed power line safety at our website and view our downed power line safety video.

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

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 and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.