National Grid's Emergency Planning Well Under Way as Hurricane Irene Advances Toward NY City and Long Island

NEW YORK (08/27/2011)(readMedia)-- As Hurricane Irene makes her way up the eastern seaboard, National Grid's emergency plans in anticipation of her arrival are well under way.

Earlier this week, National Grid Operations, Emergency Planning and a host of other departments began preparing for the potential impacts of Irene, which has the potential to bring damaging winds, torrential rains and tidal surges that could cause widespread flooding.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declared a State of Emergency in New York in preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Irene. There have been mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

"Irene has the potential to be a very destructive and dangerous storm, and we are planning accordingly," said Ken Daly, president, National Grid New York. "We want our customers to know that we are working around the clock to prepare so we can do our best for them if Irene brings her worst."

Daly added, "At this point it's unclear how much damage our gas system will sustain, but we should be able to set expectations for our customers fairly quickly once we get into the heart of the storm as to whether we're looking at a few days, a week or more."

Employees of National Grid's natural gas business are finalizing plans in the event of major flooding that could affect that system. Thousands of other employees who will support the restoration with functions such as engineering, damage assessment, materials, logistics, and more already are hard at work planning for Irene. The Customer Service centers are gearing up to handle increased calls from customers.

Staying Informed about the Storm and Restoration

"We know our customers look to us for information on what we are doing to prepare for Irene and what they should do to be ready and be safe," said Daly. "We have provided customers with many options to stay informed before during and after the storm."

They include:

• www.nationalgridus.com - get important storm and safety information
• E-mail – thousands of National Grid customers already receive storm and other information via e-mail. To sign up, go to www.nationalgridus.com and click on the "Let's Connect" banner to submit your e-mail address
• National Grid Emergency Numbers -- Keep National Grid's contact numbers handy in case you need them –
  • If you smell gas in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, call 718-643-4050, on Long Island and the Rockaways, gas emergency calls should go to 1-800-490-0045
  • If you do not smell gas but have no gas service -- for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, the number to call is 718-643-4050. On Long Island and the Rockaways, calls should go to 1-800-930-5003; we will send a service technician to your location.
• Twitter – follow us @nationalgridus to get important updates and sign up to get National Grid tweets texted to your mobile device
• News media – National Grid provides important information and announcements about storm preparations, safety, storm impacts and restoration efforts to the media. Stay tuned to stay informed.

Customers Urged to Stay Safe During and After the Storm

National Grid is concerned about your safety and that of your family. One of the best ways to ensure the safety of loved ones is by preparing for a storm. Here's how:

• 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 have shut your gas service off for safety reasons, National Grid will provide instructions on steps required to safely restore your service. Don't forget to check outdoor appliances, such as pool heaters and gas grills.
• Be sure to safely secure or bring inside outdoor furniture, patio umbrellas, toys and sports equipment, grills, and anything else that could be damaged or become a dangerous airborne projectile during the storm.

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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