WALTHAM, MA – National Grid is prepared for a storm to impact Massachusetts beginning Wednesday morning and through Thursday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and possible coastal flooding into the region.

Current forecasts indicate widespread rain and hazardous wind gusts and the possibility of small amounts of snow in some areas. Strong, potentially hazardous wind is of greatest concern—especially on Nantucket, which could see peak gusts of up to 65 mph, and in the Southeast and along the South Shore, where wind gusts could be as high as 60 mph. Strong wind gusts combined with saturated grounds have the potential to damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages in impacted locations. The storm is expected to depart by the end of the day on Thursday, and calmer weather is expected for Friday.

"National Grid is closely monitoring the weather forecast, and we have crews and personnel in place across Massachusetts ready to respond to any impacts this storm may bring," said Tim Moore, Vice President of Electric Operations for New England. "If outages occur, our crews will be ready to restore the power systems as soon as it is safe to do so."

National Grid is preparing for the storm by securing additional crews and personnel as part of the company's emergency response operations and preparedness activities. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers.  Crews will also be pre-staged on Nantucket ahead of the storm to supplement island resources.  As forecasts evolve, the company will continue to assess resource needs, including monitoring all infrastructure for the risk of flooding.

As always, the safety of our customers, communities, and crews is the top priority during any power restoration process. Our crews will begin the restoration process when it is deemed safe to conduct work. For example, it is not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts.

The company has been preparing for the storm and continues monitoring the weather and communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers.

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 number for Massachusetts: 1-800-233-5325
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is 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.