National Grid will distribute dry ice and bottled water Thursday to support customers affected by the damaging storm that impacted large portions of upstate New York. A company field force of more than 3,000 employees has restored service to 141,000 of the 196,000 customers impacted by tornadoes, heavy rain and powerful winds across the region. Crews will continue to work around the clock until the last customer is restored. In addition, National Grid is monitoring today’s weather in anticipation of another round of potentially damaging storms that could bring additional outages. 

Dry ice and bottled water distribution is a component of National Grid’s emergency response. Distribution locations were selected for their accessibility by customers in communities hardest hit by the storm. Customers are asked to bring a cooler or paper grocery bags to transport dry ice to their homes, and company personnel will provide information about its proper handling.

Dry ice locations in eastern New York will be available on July 18 at the following locations and times:

Fulton Montgomery Community College
2805 NY-67
Johnstown, NY 12095
8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Speculator Fire Department
2859 NY-30
Speculator, NY 12164
8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Warrensburg Volunteer Fire Department

18 Elm Street
Warrensburg, NY
8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Additional distribution sites and times may be announced throughout the week depending on community needs. New sites will be listed on National Grid’s Outage Map, on the company’s X and Facebook accounts, and announced to media via press releases.

What is dry ice?

Dry ice is manufactured by freezing carbon dioxide at very low temperatures until it reaches a solid form. Handle the dry ice very carefully — use gloves, a cloth, etc. to protect your hands while working with the dry ice. It is important to avoid any direct contact with the skin.

When transporting dry ice in your vehicle, remember that carbon dioxide buildup can be hazardous in a closed space. Rolling down windows and ensuring your vehicle’s ventilation system is not set to recirculate are two ways of preventing this buildup in the car. Additionally, always keep small children and pets at a safe distance from dry ice.

Using dry ice safely

Keep dry ice wrapped tightly in newspaper, paper bags, or towels when not in use to extend its shelf life and remain safe. To preserve refrigerated (not frozen) foods, place the dry ice at the very bottom of coolers, refrigerators or other insulated containers. Do NOT put food in direct contact with the dry ice.

To preserve frozen goods, set the dry ice on top of the frozen items. Do NOT allow foods directly the dry ice. Be sure to layer insulating material, such as cardboard or Styrofoam, between the dry ice and perishable items.

Dry ice is not edible; NEVER add it to a beverage or edible item.

When wrapped in an insulating container, small quantities of dry ice have an effective cooling time of roughly 24 hours. Keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible also helps to preserve the food and further extend its cooling life.

When dry ice is unavailable, or if available quantities are only sufficient for preserving your frozen food, consider purchasing regular ice cubes, available at convenience stores, gas stations or other markets. For effective cooling techniques, place bags or containers of ice throughout the refrigerator or cooler. Avoid direct contact between dry ice and food.

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.