National Grid Prepares for Weekend Winter Weather While Completing Restoration for Customers Affected by this Week’s Damaging Windstorm

by Contributor | January 12, 2024 10:48 am

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — As National Grid restores the final isolated pockets of single customer outages in Northern New York following this week’s wind and snow storms, it  is preparing for another round of winter weather this weekend. Forecasts call for more gusty winds, heavy rain and significant snowfall to impact many of the same areas of the state affected by Mother Nature earlier this week. The company will have more than 4,300 field-based personnel prepositioned and ready to respond to the incoming weather across the state.

“In addition to restoring power to more than 202,500 customers across upstate New York after this week’s series of storms, National Grid has been closely monitoring the weather forecasts for the coming days,” said Matt Barnett, Vice President of Electric Operations for New York. “We will have crews and personnel in place across our service area ready to respond to any impacts this weekend’s storm may bring.”

Barnett noted that many of the external resources brought in for this week’s massive restoration efforts – some coming from Canada and as far away as away as Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan – will remain on the ground to support any damage assessment and repairs caused by the next round of storms. The company’s in-house team and complement of external support includes highly skilled line, service, tree, damage assessment and public safety personnel.

National Grid will also continue to coordinate planning and preparedness with key partners such as state and county emergency management agencies, municipalities, and police, fire, and elected officials.

Weekend Winter Weather Returns to Central New York

Forecasts indicate that a wintry mix of rain, snow, sleet and high winds will move into the region again on Friday evening. The system, which will taper off Monday night, has the potential to bring 8-16 inches of snow to parts of Central and Northern New York and wind gusts could reach 60 mph.

The company’s comprehensive emergency response plan remains in place and additional proactive outreach has occurred to:

• Elected, municipal and emergency management officials to keep them updated on National Grid’s preparations and provide safety information.
• Customers through traditional and social media, email and texts and on its website to provide safety information and to urge them to be prepared.
• Life support equipment and critical facility customers to ensure they are prepared.

Restoration in Northern New York

The windstorm that impacted Northern New York Tuesday through Thursday resulted in power outages for 75,900 customers in the region. As of 7 a.m. Friday, 73,300 of those customers have had service restored. The company expects remaining outages to be restored by 4 p.m. Friday.

Crews replaced more than 85 broken poles, a labor-intensive process that can take one crew with specialized equipment up to six hours to replace a single pole. Dozens of transformers were replaced and there was significant damage to power lines and substations caused by fallen trees and tree limbs.

“The wind intensity compromised many trees in the area,” said Barnett. “There were multiple occasions where a crew would repair a line and restore service to customers, only to have the same tree or nearby branches and debris bring down the same power line and again interrupt service for our customers.”

National Grid crews faced harsh terrain, working off-road and in remote locations to access infrastructure, using specialized vehicles with tank-style tracks for access. Weather conditions presented further challenges as rain and gusty winds throughout the week gave way to heavy lake effect snow.

“Our crews persevered despite the hazards that were presented with the goal of safely restoring power for our customers. We thank our customers for their patience during the labor- and time-intensive process and ask that they bear with us as the next storm system approaches in areas where trees and other vegetation are already compromised from the damage of this week’s storms.”

The company also encourages customers to keep safety a priority with the following reminders:

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online[1] to expedite restoration.
• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide[2]. 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

• 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.
• Click here[3] for more downed power line safety tips.

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[4] website. Customers who create an online profile also can sign up for email alerts.
• Customers can read the latest company news, check outage status and report an outage by using the National Grid app.
• Visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com[5], follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter)[6] and friend us on Facebook[7].
• Click here[8] for details on the company’s storm preparation and restoration process.

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