National Grid Urges Safety in the Event of High Winds and Blizzard Conditions

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WORCESTER, MA. National Grid, 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, is urging safety in the event of high winds and blizzard conditions.

Forecasts are calling for high winds and snow–especially in coastal areas and Nantucket—that have already caused small service interruptions.

National Grid
Photo courtesy: National Grid

“National Grid will continuously monitor the storm and communicate with local officials, first responders and life support customers,” said Dan Bunzell, National Grid vice president of New England Operations. “Safety is National Grid’s number one priority, and the company urges customers to watch out for their own wellbeing and the safety of utility crews working during the storm.”

National Grid provides a number of channels for customers to learn about service issues and interruptions during storms. Customers can follow the storm on their mobile devices by using the National Grid mobile app or texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). The company provides real time outage information on its Outage Central web site. National Grid also provides storm and restoration updates through Facebook and Twitter.

National Grid advises customers to be prepared for service interruptions. It’s a good idea to have a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home. National Grid offers the following tips for customers to minimize inconvenience and maximize safety in the event that storm-related power interruptions do occur.

• National Grid customers who experience outages should call National Grid’s outage line at 1-800-465-1212 immediately to expedite restoration.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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