National Grid Crews Restore More Than 75 Percent of Massachusetts Customers Affected by Storms

WALTHAM, MA (06/03/2011)(readMedia)-- National Grid crews have made significant progress in restoring power to customers affected by the devastating storms that swept through western and central Massachusetts on June 2. At the peak, approximately 42,000 National Grid customers were without power. As of early this afternoon, more than 34,000 of those customers – or more than 75 percent – have had their service restored, with approximately 8,000 customers still out.

The majority of the remaining customers should have power by late tonight. Some customers in the hardest-hit areas will be restored by noon on Saturday, except for small pockets of customers and individual customers whose homes or businesses sustained very severe damage or require an electrician to complete repairs before their power can be restored.

National Grid has brought hundreds of crews from across its service area, along with contractor crews, to work on the restoration effort. Hundreds of other employees are providing logistics, materials, engineering, customer service and other support to the crews.

"We continue to be amazed at the extent of the destruction that was wrought by this storm," said Marcy Reed, president, National Grid Massachusetts. "We know these storms have devastated many communities, and we are doing everything possible to get power back so the rebuilding process can begin." Reed added, "We know this is an extremely difficult time for many of our customers, and we are especially grateful to them for their patience and understanding as we work through this process. We also thank our local, state and federal officials for their cooperation and support through the restoration effort."

Today, crews continue to focus on repairing lines and equipment that run along public roads, as well as a pair of high-voltage lines that traverse a remote wooded area in Wilbraham, Monson and Hampden. These lines, which supply thousands of customers in several communities, sustained significant damage.

National Grid offers the following tips for customers to maximize safety as crews work to assess the damage and restore power:

• 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, be sure to only operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, 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 jeopardize the safety of crews working to restore power.
• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information.
• Be careful when entering any structure that has been damaged.
• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris.
• Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and broken glass.
• Use battery-powered lanterns, if possible, rather than candles to light homes without electrical power. If you use candles, make sure they are in safe holders away from curtains, paper, wood or other flammable items. Never leave a candle burning when you are out of the room.

Customers who need to contact National Grid regarding power outages or downed wires should call National Grid Customer Service toll-free at 1-800-465-1212.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.

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