NATIONAL GRID PLC February 6, 2016
WALTHAM, Mass. - As of 11 am today, National Grid has restored power to approximately 75 percent of the 149,000 Massachusetts and Rhode Island customers that experienced service interruptions in the wake of Friday's snowstorm.
Crews have been working since yesterday morning and made significant progress despite daunting conditions including hundreds of trees and large tree limbs that tore down lines, poles and equipment. In some areas, fallen trees blocked roads or access to damaged equipment. Crews also had to use caution as trees and limbs continued to come down under the weight of the heavy, wet snow.
This morning, 100 additional crews arrived to help expedite the restoration, with 130 more set to arrive today, for a total of 300 crews working to restore power. Company officials currently expect the vast majority of remaining customers to have service by midnight. There may be isolated pockets where damage is so severe that it may take longer to restore service.
Customers can check on the status of the restoration in their community by checking National Grid's Outage Central web site at nationalgridus.com/OutageCentral. National Grid also provides storm and restoration updates through Facebook and Twitter. It's important to note that the restoration times listed in Outage Central indicate when the last customer in a particular community is expected to have power, and that crews will be restoring customers continuously until then.
Public Urged to Stay Safe Indoors and Outdoors
'Although the snow's over and the sun's out, we still have some dangerous conditions outside and we want everyone to use extreme caution working or playing outdoors today,' said Dan Bunszell, National Grid's vice president of New England Operations and Incident Commander for this restoration. 'There are many trees down that may have wires tangled in them and more are likely to come down today.' He added, 'People also need to watch out for public safety, utility and other crews working to restore various services. Nothing is more important than safety.'
Never touch downed power lines, and always assume that any fallen lines are live electricity wires. If you see one, report it immediately to National Grid or your local emergency response organization.
Gas customers need to take important precautions, too. Ice and snow falling from a roof can damage gas meters or service connections to customers' homes or businesses, resulting in a gas leak. The buildup of ice and snow around or over gas meters and vents for natural gas appliances could pose a serious safety risk because it could cause carbon monoxide to back up into a building and result in carbon monoxide poisoning for those inside. To avoid these dangers, National Grid advises natural gas customers to closely inspect areas around and over gas meters, service hook-ups and vents for ice and snow that could damage equipment or prevent carbon monoxide from properly venting.
National Grid is working hand-in-hand with local and state public safety and emergency response personnel to ensure the restoration is carefully coordinated to ensure safety and to expedite getting customers back on line.
National Grid offers the following additional guidance to help everyone stay safe in the aftermath of the storm:
Electricity & generator safety
- If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating a generator, 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.
Gas safety National Grid advises that you take immediate action anytime 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 number: Greater Boston area: 1-800-233-5325; All other areas: 1-800-548-8000 or call 911.
- Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.
Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization).
For more information please visit our website, or our Connecting website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, find our photos on Instagram
National Grid plc issued this content on 06 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 06 February 2016 17:36:33 UTC
Original Document: http://www.nationalgridus.com/aboutus/a3-1_news2.asp?document=10163
