Customers urged to prepare for high winds, heavy rains
Submitted by National Grid
In anticipation of extremely strong winds and heavy rains across much of its upstate New York service area, National Grid has more than 1,700 line, service and tree workers on alert, including additional support from 240 contractors from as far away as Indiana. The additional resources began arriving yesterday. Crews are being deployed across upstate as needed, particularly in the company's western and central divisions, where winds are expected to be the most severe today and tonight.
In the event of power outages resulting from the weather, the company offers the following safety information for customers and the general public:
Electricity & Generator Safety
•If a power outage occurs, customers should call National Grid's at 1-800-867-5222 to expedite restoration.
•Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors. 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.
•Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed lines should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or to your local emergency response organization.
•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 a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home.
•Please drive carefully and use caution when driving near any repair crews working to restore power.
•Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.
National Grid also advises staying tuned to local media for important announcements from emergency officials about possible evacuations or other emergency procedures. In most areas, information on storm shelter locations is available by calling 211.
Stay Connected
National Grid offers several ways to stay informed and safe - before, during and after a storm:
•For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit the
outage central section of
www.nationalgridus.com. Customers who create an online profile on our website can also sign up for email alerts.
•To receive text message alerts and updates from National Grid, text the word STORM to NGRID (64743).
•Online and text alert services can be started and stopped at the customer's request.
•Other ways to stay in touch:
