National Grid : Responding to Damage from Nor’easter Across Massachusetts and Rhode Island

WALTHAM, MA - National Grid has nearly 4,000 field personnel responding to power outages in Massachusetts and Rhode Island caused by downed limbs, trees, and poles brought on by this weekend's nor'easter. Across the region, the winter storm has featured blizzard conditions, including strong winds, extensive snow and reduced visibility, which has led to downed power lines and other damage in some locations.

As of 4 p.m., National Grid had approximately 7,300 customers without service in Massachusetts, while 67 Rhode Island customers were without power. For National Grid customers, the hardest hit area has been Nantucket, where persistent winds of 50 mph and gusts topping 70 mph have slowed restoration efforts. At 4 p.m., about 4,700 customers on the island were without power. Winds of 35 mph prevent crews from going up in bucket trucks and making repairs on overhead lines. National Grid will be deploying additional crews to Nantucket Sunday morning to complete restorations.

Other areas impacted by the storm have primarily been on the North and South Shores of Massachusetts. Outages have been minimal in Western and Central Massachusetts as well as Rhode Island.

There remains concern that cities and towns along the coastline could be impacted as the storm pulls away from New England. As always, National Grid urges customers to stay safe. The Company provides several ways to stay connected and up-to-date on the latest safety and restoration information.

"There are still several hours remaining in this storm, but thus far our system has held up well. We remain ready to restore power as outages occur," said Michael McCallan, Vice President of New England Electric Operations, Maintenance and Construction. "Thousands of line and forestry workers are in place across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to repair and restore the power systems when it is safe to do so. The heavy snow and strong winds make restoration challenging and sometimes slow, and we appreciate everyone's patience."

Field personnel have been responding to emergency 911 and wires down calls, assessing the damage, clearing trees, and making repairs to electrical infrastructure where conditions are safe. Because of the heavy snow and strong winds, crews are proceeding cautiously, but moving safely and efficiently. Safety is our number one priority, and crews will only restore power when the conditions are safe to do so. During this time, responding to 911 and downed power line calls as well as assisting with critical facilities are top priorities.

National Grid secured external crews from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Brunswick and Ontario. All response crews were in place by Friday night.

The Company offers the following tips and reminders:

Customers Should Stay Connected:

• Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212.
• Use your mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid's mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram; we post all the latest storm and restoration updates.
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central
• To stay connected during storms and outages, text to 64743 using any of the below commands.
  • REG to sign up for text alerts
  • OUT to report an outage
  • SUM followed by your town, county, or state to get a summary of outages in your area
  • HELP for the full list of commands

Stay Safe:

• Never touch downed power lines, and always assume that any fallen lines are live electric wires. If you see one, report it immediately to National Grid or your local emergency response organization.
• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it's an especially good idea to keep a supply of bottled drinking water handy, as well as some canned food.
• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, call the company's Customer Service Center at 1-800-322-3223.
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.

Electric Safety:

• If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, disconnect from National Grid's system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could jeopardize the safety of line crews and the public.
• If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off, but leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.
• Reminder: It's not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. Our line workers begin restoration work only when conditions are deemed safe.

Gas Safety:

If you suspect a natural gas leak:

• Get Out - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
• Call Us - After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency numbers:
  • New England:1-800-640-1595
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

Additional safety information may be found at https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Storm-Safety/