More than 2,000 line, service, tree, damage assessment and public safety workers are active across National Grid’s Upstate New York service area after severe thunderstorms — with wind gusts up to 72 mph in some areas — blanketed the region Sunday evening. The company’s field force has been working around the clock, clearing broken trees and tree limbs, and replacing downed wires, transformers, broken poles and other damaged equipment. As of 10 a.m., 62,500 of nearly 66,600 impacted customers have had service restored.

Central New York was hit hardest by the storms, including Cortland, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego counties. Power is being consistently restored in these regions and most impacted customers are expected to have power restored by 5 p.m. today. Isolated and scattered single-customer outages in the hardest-to-access areas may potentially extend into tomorrow.

“Public safety is our top priority as our crews remove debris and repair widespread damage,” said Kyle Bentley, Vice President of New York Electric Operations. “We will continue to work as quickly and as safely as possible until every customer is returned to service.”  He noted that the company is working closely with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts.

Customers are reminded to be aware of potential safety hazards such as damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven’t yet fallen to the ground. As always, all downed wires should be considered live and dangerous and should immediately be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911. Learn more about downed power line safety at our website.

The Restoration Process

When it is safe to do so, 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 come repairs to the facilities that serve the largest number of customers such as main transmission facilities, followed by recovery work at local substations and repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires. Click here to learn more about the company’s restoration process.

Estimated Restoration Times

• In the early stages of a storm, 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 infrastructure damage can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.
• It's normal for outage numbers and ETRs to fluctuate. The numbers can go up and down as lines are de-energize to make conditions safe for repairs. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur as the strong, damaging winds and snow continue.
• 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 Outage page.

Safety Near Downed Power Lines

• Always use extreme caution near downed power lines and wires, and always assume that they are carrying live electricity.
• 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.
• If you encounter a downed line, keep everyone away and report it to us at 1-800-867-5222 or 911 immediately.

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.
• Stay tuned to local news outlets or the National Weather Service for storm updates, weather alerts
• Keep working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices.
• If the power is out, use flashlights or other battery-powered lights. Do not use candles, which can pose a fire hazard.
• 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.

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.
• 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 Outage page.
• Customers can read 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.