National Grid Makes Significant Progress in Power Restoration in Upstate New York

.. (08/30/2011)(readMedia)-- Less than 48 hours after Hurricane Irene's heavy winds and torrential rains swept across portions of upstate New York, National Grid has made significant progress in restoring electrical service to affected customers. As of 11 a.m. today, approximately 105,600 customers have been restored out of a peak of more than 156,000 the lost service by late Sunday night.

A significant number of the 50,400 still affected by Irene are in areas that are experiencing severe flooding of area rivers and streams, particularly the Mohawk River and its tributaries. The company is patrolling those areas by helicopter today in an effort to assess the damage and determine what will be required once the flood waters recede and it is safe to enter the areas.

As of 11 a.m. today, outages in upstate New York counties served by National Grid crews from the region and other parts of the company's New York territory are as follows:

• Albany –7,085
• Columbia – 200
• Essex – 3,840
• Fulton – 2,830
• Hamilton – 850
• Herkimer – 245
• Montgomery – 3,510
• Otsego – 940
• Rensselaer – 345
• Saratoga – 5,000
• Schenectady – 7,675
• Schoharie – 4,670
• Warren – 11,225
• Washington – 2,200

According to Ken Daly, president, National Grid New York, the company has established estimated restoration times for most of its operating districts in the Eastern Division, except for those areas where flooding has made it impossible to do complete damage assessment, particularly in low areas along the Mohawk River in several counties. With those exceptions, the company now expects to complete restorations in most areas by late Thursday evening.

"The level of flooding in some areas is unprecedented in this region, and it simply is not possible to do a thorough assessment of our network in those areas," Daly said. "A complete understanding of the work we face in those areas is necessary before we can tell those customers when they might have their service restored."

Power is being restored on a 24-hour basis throughout the region, as more than 3,000 people are dedicated to the effort. In addition to the flooding, road and bridge closures in many areas have hindered travel and, in many areas, required the use of specialized equipment for access, including helicopters, amphibious vehicles and all terrain vehicles.

Under the company's priority system, repair crews typically first address problems with transmission lines and substations that restore critical customers such as hospitals and public safety facilities and serve large numbers of customers.

While those problems are being resolved, crews begin to work on substations and primary lines that serve many customers. Crews then target lines that serve local neighborhoods.

Lines and transformers within neighborhoods and the wires that connect them to homes and businesses come next, starting with areas that involve the most customers.

Staying Safe After the Storm

It is very important to be aware of and avoid potential safety hazards 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.

If your home is flooded:

• Check with an electrician before turning on anything.
• Do not turn off the gas meter even in the event of an evacuation. The gas meter should be left on to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within the house and to prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur.
• Most gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of gas automatically if the pilot light goes out. If your appliances have been in contact with water, please contact a licensed plumbing or heating contractor to make sure the appliances are safe to operate.
• If we shut off your gas service for safety reasons, we will provide instructions on steps required to safely restore service. Don't forget to check outdoor appliances, such as pool heaters and gas grills.

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

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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