National Grid Says it's Prepping for Major Blizzard

National Grid has mobilized in-house and contractor crews, pre-arranged shifts for 185 line crews and is planning to staff six equipment and personnel staging areas throughout the area in an effort to be ready for the major blizzard heading our way Monday through Tuesday.

The utility company said it is “hard at work” in storm preparations, including arranging lodging and meals for the crews and other logistical efforts.

“With sustained periods of heavy snow, gale-force winds and blizzard conditions, this storm has the potential to cause severe damage to the electric system. While we will be ready for whatever [the blizzard] brings, if the storm turns out to be as severe as the meteorologists are predicting, it could take several days to restore power to all of our customers,” said Dan Bunszell, National Grid’s vice president of New England Operations. “We urge our customers to take this weather forecast very seriously and prepare accordingly so they can stay safe before, during and after the storm.”

National Grid provides multiple 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 at nationalgridus.com/OutageCentral. 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 in New England 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.