National Grid’s expanded field force has worked around the clock to restore service to 86,100 of the 93,700 (92%) customers impacted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which left a trail of destruction across Upstate New York. Line and damage assessment crews and specialty teams of tree and service crews were mobilized in advance of the storms and responded to outages caused by torrential rains and damaging winds in excess of 55 mph.

The company’s crews – supplemented by resources from New England and Canada – have been at work since Friday afternoon, coordinating with local officials and emergency responders to remove hazards, assess damage, and restore service, while ensuring public safety. The storms caused widespread damage in communities across Central and Eastern New York, including downed wires, trees, limbs, broken poles, damaged transformers, and other hazards. The hardest hit areas include Herkimer, Madison, St. Lawrence, Oneida, and Oswego counties in Central New York; and Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Schenectady, Columbia, Rensselaer, Essex, Warren, and Washington counties in Eastern New York.

“Crews have made steady progress today in the face of hazardous field conditions,” said Kyle Bentley, senior director of New York electric operations. “Their safety and the safety of our employees remain our top priority in any emergency response and restoration effort.

“I want to personally thank our local governments, and police, fire, public works, and highway departments for their assistance. We appreciate the support of our community partners and the patience of our customers as we continue to repair all of the damage,” Bentley said.

Estimated Times of Restoration for Central and Eastern New York Customers

The company is providing the following general estimated times of restoration for customers who remain without service. Power is being consistently restored to customers across the region 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.

All National Grid customers in Central and Eastern New York who remain without service due to the storm are projected to have power restored by 11:30 p.m. today, with isolated and scattered single customer outages in the hardest-to-access areas potentially extending into Sunday morning.

Crews will do everything within their control to complete restoration as quickly and as safely as possible. The company’s extensive resources will remain in the region until every outage is repaired.

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 we de-energize lines to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur if strong, damaging winds and heavy snowfall continue.
• Outage Central Reminder: Our Outage Central page shows the estimated times 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 Outage page.

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.
• 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

• 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.

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 check outage status, report an outage and see the latest storm-related news releases from the company by using the updated National Grid app, free to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• 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.