National Grid’s field force of more than 3,000 highly skilled workers is continuing around-the-clock restoration efforts in hazardous conditions as they clean up extensive debris, repair damaged equipment and restore service to customers after ferocious storms ripped through parts of Upstate New York Tuesday. As of 5 p.m. today, the company has restored power to nearly 151,000 of the 198,900 customers who lost service.

In the Mohawk Valley, the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado tore through Rome, causing houses and buildings to collapse, roofs to blow off and church steeples to crumble. The hardest hit areas in that region include Madison and Oneida counties.

In Eastern New York, the powerful storm brought damaging winds with speeds approaching 90 mph recorded in Glens Falls. In addition to the hurricane-force winds, the region saw strong straight-line winds, significant rain and hail in some areas. Albany, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Warren, and Washington counties were the most severely impacted.

“This storm has been extremely damaging to our communities and to our electric system,” said Matt Barnett, National Grid’s vice president of New York electric operations. “We’re seeing hundreds of downed wires in addition to broken poles, damaged transformers, and uprooted trees on our power lines. Cleanup, reconstruction and restoration has been and will continue to be labor-intensive and time consuming, and our crews will continue to be out there in full force to bring service back to customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

Barnett noted that the company continues to work closely with local officials, first responders, and other key emergency personnel to coordinate restoration efforts. He added that possible severe weather is still forecasted through this evening, which could cause new outages or delay restoration efforts.

National Grid’s field force includes resources from Canada, Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Vermont to support restoration.

Detailed damage assessments are ongoing in parallel with repairs so that updated restoration times can be provided for the Mohawk Valley and Eastern New York.  

Estimated Times of Restoration for Central and Northern New York

Most customers impacted by Tuesday’s storms in the Northern New York counties of Clinton, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence have had their power restored. Isolated and scattered single-customer outages in the hardest-to-access areas may potentially extend into Thursday.

Customers who remain without service after Tuesday’s storms in the Central New York counties of Cortland, Onondaga and Oswego are expected to have power restored by 11:30 p.m. tonight. Isolated and scattered single-customer outages in the hardest-to-access areas may potentially extend into Thursday.

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.

National Grid crews will do everything within their control to complete restoration as quickly as possible. The company’s extensive resources will remain in the region until the last outage is repaired.

Additionally, because of structural damage from the storms - including severely compromised and collapsed buildings - gas service has been shut off at the meter for approximately 100 customers in Rome and 20 customers in Canastota due to safety concerns.  National Grid gas crews are standing by to restore gas service once it is safe to do so.

As always, customers who suspect a gas leak are reminded to exit the property immediately and, after getting a safe distance from the building, call National Grid’s gas emergency line at 800-892-2345 or 911.

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 comes 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. Click here for a video on how National Grid restores power after a storm.

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, the restoration times on National Grid’s Outage Central site may be listed as “assessing conditions.” This is because debris such as trees, tree limbs, and downed wires, must be cleared away so that damage to our equipment can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.
• It's normal for outage numbers and estimated restoration times to fluctuate as lines are de-energized to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur if new storms impact the region.
• Outage Central Reminder: Our Outage Central page shows the estimated time of restoration for communities and reflects the estimated time for the last customer in that community to have power restored. The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into our Report or Check an Outage page.

 The company also encourages customers to keep safety a priority with the following reminders:

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

• Customers are reminded to keep safety a priority by avoiding downed wires.  All wires should be considered live and should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.
• 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.
• NEVER drive over downed wires. If you are driving in an area with downed trees or utility poles, slow down, scan the road and stay away from any debris that may be caught in a downed wire.
• Repairing downed wires can be dangerous work, so please drive carefully when you spot our repair crews on the road.
  
  

Learn more about downed power line safety at our website.

Electricity and 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.
• 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.

Gas Safety Reminders 

It is important to act quickly and safely when you suspect a natural gas leak. National Grid and other gas delivery companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to natural gas to give

it a distinct, pungent odor similar to rotten eggs. If you suspect a gas leak, it is important that everyone in your home exit the property immediately without:

• Touching any electrical or light switches, doorbells, phones, or anything that could cause a spark, including any appliances or thermostats
• Turning any electrical equipment on or off
• Pulling plugs from outlets
• Smoking or lighting matches
• Re-entering until you receive authorization from National Grid or emergency responders
  
  

Call National Grid’s gas emergency line at 800-892-2345 or 911 immediately after exiting and getting a safe distance from the building.

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 X and like us on Facebook.
• Click here for details on the company’s storm preparation and restoration process.  

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.