National Grid : Restores Power to 90 Percent of Western New York Customers Impacted by Sunday's Storm
11/16/2020 | 04:59pm EST
National Grid Restores Power to 90 Percent of Western New York Customers Impacted by Sunday's Storm
Nov 16, 2020 - 4:45 PM
Media Contact: David Bertola 716-831-7136
National Grid'swestern New York field force has restored power to 90 percent of the nearly 53,000customers impacted by the severe storm that caused widespread damage in the region on Sunday.Crews are continuing to repair extensive damage to equipmentandfacilitiesafter high winds brought down trees, tree limbs, wires,poles and other hazards. Areas hardest hit include Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugusand Chautauquacounties.
The majority ofcustomers who remain without service are expected to have their power restored by 11:30 p.m., with isolated and scattered pockets and single customer outages in the hardest hit areas restored into Tuesday.The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into the 'Report or Check Outage'pageon National Grid's Outage Centralsite.
'While we have made steady progress, our work will continue until all affected customers have had their service restored,' said Matt Barnett, Vice President of New York Electric Operations.
National Grid continues to distribute bottled water and dry ice through 6 p.m. today at the following locations:
Dunkirk Training Grounds
665 Brigham Rd., Dunkirk, 14048
JFK Recreation Center 114 Hickory St., Buffalo, 14204
Customers who remain without power when their neighbors have been restored are encouraged to call National Grid at 1-800-867-5222. Once restoration has been completed, National Grid crews will remain in the field for the days that follow to complete storm cleanup. The company reminds motorists to use caution as they approach work areas, to ensure the safety of utility and other storm-response personnel.
Electricity & Generator Safety
If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.
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 by calling 911.
Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadlycarbon 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 a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home.
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.
Estimated Restoration Times
In the early stages of a storm, restoration times on National Grid'sOutage Centralsite 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 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.
The Restoration Process
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 main transmission facilities, including towers, poles and high-tension wires that deliver power to thousands of customers. Recovery work at local substations also is a top priority, followed by repairs to neighborhood circuits, transformers and service wires.Click herefor information about the company's restoration process.
As restoration work continues, National Grid continues to urge the public to be cautious around downed wires and debris, and offers the following safety tips:
Stay informed and connected:
Customers can receivepersonalized alerts by text, email, and/or phonewhen an outage is detected at their property by enrolling in the company's outage alert option. To register, text REG to 64743, enter your National Grid electricity account number and select your preferred method(s) of notification. 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'sOutage Centralwebsite.Customers who create an online profile also can register to receive email alerts.
About National Grid
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, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
National Grid plc published this content on 16 November 2020 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 16 November 2020 21:58:07 UTC