National Grid Expects Restoration in Most Upstate Areas Tonight; Additional Crews to Flooded Area

. (09/01/2011)(readMedia)-- Hundreds of National Grid crews continue to work throughout the eastern portion of New York restoring electrical service for customers and repairing damage to the company's network in this fourth day after Hurricane Irene swept up the east cost. As waters in heavily flooded areas recede and the extent of the devastation becomes clearer, crews have been moving into areas previously inaccessible.

As of 11 a.m., service has been restored to more than 151,000 homes and business throughout the region, or more than 97 percent of the 156,600 who were affected by the strong winds and torrential rains of Irene. Approximately 5,125 services remain affected by the storm.

The company expects to complete service restore in most areas by late tonight. In some of the most heavily flooded areas along the Mohawk River – particularly areas of Schoharie and Montgomery counties – restoration will take longer as crews were delayed in starting work for several days because of dangers conditions. In addition, homes that experienced flooding or severe damage to electrical equipment may not be connected until services can be inspected for safety purposes.

Customers will be notified by the company if their home or business cannot be connected because of damage to their equipment or other safety concerns, and arrangements will be made to assure quick response once repairs are completed by a qualified technician and the service has been inspected by the appropriate authority.

National Grid is working with area emergency officials to provide dry ice to customers, free of charge as supplies last. Locations for dry ice distribution is as follows, with sites open through dusk:

• Schoharie County – The Old Interknitting Facility at the intersection of South Grand St. & Mineral Springs Road, Cobleskill
• Schoharie County – Middleburgh Chiropractic Office, 305 Main St. Middleburgh
• Essex County – Former Lowes parking lot at 1092 Wicker St, Ticonderoga
• Warren County – County Municipal Center, 1340 St Rt 9, Lake George
• Saratoga County – Edinburg Fire Co 7, North Shore Rd, Northville
• Albany County -- Slingerlands Fire Department, 1520 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands
• Fulton County – Fulton County Complex, 2712 State Highway 29, Johnstown
• Montgomery County – Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Parking lot across street. 39 St. John St., Amsterdam

"We have received tremendous cooperation from our customers, emergency responders and coordinators, municipal officials and so many others looking to help, including many whose homes and businesses were directly affected by Irene," said Ken Daly, president of National Grid in New York. "Reports we've had from the field of crews being offered coffee, snacks, thanks and sometimes just a simple 'thumbs up' when the lights went speaks volumes about the people we serve in this region."

Power is has been restored on a 24-hour basis throughout the region, as more than 3,000 field and support staff have been dedicated to the effort.

As restoration efforts wind down in most communities, National Grid reminds customers to be safe as the go about the business of repairing homes and other buildings, cleaning up yards and trying to return their lives to normal.

"We make repairs as safe and complete as possible, but there may be still be unsafe conditions in the region, given the devastating impact of the Storm's impact," Daly said. "Further, customers need to remain aware of potential damage to trees, particularly broken limbs that may not have come completely to the ground."

It is very important to be aware of and avoid potential safety hazards during and after the storm. As the weather improves and people begin to clean up around their homes and business, the company urges extreme caution around electrical wires or other equipment that may be on the ground.

If you use a generator make sure your wiring system is disconnected from our system before operating the generator. This is necessary to prevent your generator's electricity from going back into our system, which could endanger the lives of line crews and your neighbors. Be sure to only use generators outdoors. Exhaust fumes contain poisonous carbon monoxide and can kill or cause serious injury.

Log on to www.nationalgridus.com for more information on how to stay safe during and after a storm.

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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