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National Grid prepared for windstorm

by jmaloni

Submitted

Fri, Nov 1st 2013 01:55 pm

National Grid has geared up to address any electric service issues that may result from extreme winds. Potentially heavy rain and very strong wind gusts are expected across the company's upstate New York service area in Western New York, and moving east.

To prepare, the company marshaled its in-house and contractor crews for deployment to key areas of its service territory and readied equipment in the event of weather severe enough to cause power outages.

National Grid customers who experience outages should call National Grid's outage line at 1-800-867-5222 to expedite restoration. While advanced equipment can often alert the company to outages, customers should never assume the company knows their service is affected; they should call to report an outage. The company also encourages customers to keep in touch throughout the storm by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743), and following National Grid on Twitter, Facebook and its new U.S. Connecting website.

National Grid's first priority is the safety and well-being of its customers and employees, and urges extreme caution during and after any weather event.

Tips for Wind Safety and Wires Down

•Strong winds can cause local electrical service interruptions. It's a good idea to have a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home.

•Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.

•People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a National Grid life support customer, call the company's customer service contact center at 1-800-642-4272.

People should consider any downed wire they see to be live and dangerous. If you see any fallen lines, broken poles or trees touching wires, stay clear of the surrounding area and contact National Grid immediately.

•Customers with generators should be sure to install them outside to avoid deadly carbon monoxide. Open windows are inadequate for safely ventilating a generator. To ensure safety, operate generators only outdoors. Before installing generators, be sure to disconnect from National Grid's system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel.

•Finally, note National Grid's emergency outage reporting number, 1-800-867-5222, and keep it handy. Reporting outages as soon as possible helps expedite restoration.

For more information, visit www.nationalgridus.com.

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