National Grid Progresses Restoration after Damaging Storm
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WALTHAM, MA – National Grid crews have restored power to more than 33,000 customers since fast-moving thunderstorms thrashed sections of Massachusetts Friday with 60 mph winds, hail, and torrential downpours.
The storms, which featured high winds, rain, and significant lightning, brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines across the region. The company has increased staffing and work shifts and has secured additional crews, including from Canada, that will continue to work around the clock until all customers are returned to service.
“Our crews worked throughout the night and are in the field today to restore power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible,” said Tim Moore, Vice President for Electric Operations for New England. “We are working through multiple 911 and other emergency calls and our workforce is removing hazards, navigating around fallen trees and blocked roads as we make repairs and restore service hour-by-hour throughout the impacted regions.”
As of 10 a.m., approximately 34,000 customers were without power, primarily in hard-hit regions of Essex and Middlesex counties, including Andover, North Andover, Lawrence and Chelmsford.
The company has deployed additional line and tree crews Saturday morning to remove downed wires, trees, broken poles, and other hazards to advance repair efforts as quickly and safely as possible. In total, more than 1,000 personnel are working in the field. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers.
National Grid will continue updating estimated restoration times throughout the day. Customers may check on the status of their outage by logging into our Report or Check an Outage page. National Grid’s extensive resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired.
The company 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 complete 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 excellent 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.
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.
Gas Safety:
- If you suspect a natural gas leak:
- Get Out - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
- Call Us – After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency numbers:
- New England:1-800-233-5325
- Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.
Heat Safety:
- Know the signs of heat-related illness. Heavy sweating, muscle cramps, and a fast pulse aren’t just signs of being warm. They are symptoms of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Know the signs and pay extra attention to children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups when the temperature and humidity rise.
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.
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.
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