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Electric company offers tips if North Country power outages occur in predicted rough weather

Posted 2/6/19

Electric utility National Grid says it has personnel, facilities and equipment ready to deal with any outages the nasty weather predicted in the North Country could cause today and tomorrow, and is …

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Electric company offers tips if North Country power outages occur in predicted rough weather

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Electric utility National Grid says it has personnel, facilities and equipment ready to deal with any outages the nasty weather predicted in the North Country could cause today and tomorrow, and is offering tips to customers to deal with any difficulties they may encounter.

Winter weather advisories across the North Country are calling for freezing rain, sleet and the potential for icing conditions especially over the next 24 hours in higher elevations such as those in the south of St. Lawrence County. National Grid says it is monitoring the weather and has an upstate New York field force of nearly 1,600 workers at the ready if the storm impacts our system. To ensure customers also are prepared, they offer the following safety reminders.

Electricity and Generator Safety

If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.

Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed lines should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or to your local emergency response organization.

Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. 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 line crews and 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. The companyn advises that in a medical emergency, dial 911.

Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and charge all electronic devices.

They ask that people drive carefully and use caution when driving near any crews working to restore power.

Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

Stay Connected

National Grid offers several ways to stay informed and safe before, during and after a storm.

For real-time power outage information, online outage reporting, and in-depth storm safety information, visit the Outage Central section of their website at www.nationalgridus.com. Customers who create an online profile on the website can also sign up for email alerts.

To receive text message alerts and updates from National Grid, text the word STORM to NGRID (64743).

Online and text alert services can be started and stopped at the customer’s request.

There is more at https://twitter.com/nationalgridus and http://www.facebook.com/nationalgrid

National Grid offers a video on how they restore power after a major storm.