NEW YORK (WWTI), — Statewide forces prepared to help local communities ahead of high winds expected to begin on Sunday.
National Grid informed customers Sunday afternoon that it had increased its state field force and set up emergency plans for areas likely to be affected by high winds. These included asking for assistance from outside resources, pre-staging crews, and material in the affected areas.
National Grid said that it will work with its support teams and crews to restore service in the event of an outage.
Parts of the Capital Region were affected by high winds and wintry rain on December 5, evening. For parts of Washington, Columbia, Montgomery and Schenectady counties, a wind advisory is in effect.
The region will continue to experience winds between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts of up to 50 mph. National Grid provided the following tips to residents to help them stay safe in severe weather.
- Prepare for anything: Make sure you have extra batteries and flashlights on hand, and ensure that your mobile devices are fully charged.
- Avoid power lines that are down. Report to National Grid or dial 911.
- Turn off the main breaker if you are using a generator
- In the event of an outage, turn off any appliances that were turned on.
- During an emergency, check on elderly relatives, neighbours, and other people.
Residents are also urged to evacuate their homes immediately in case of a gas leak. Call National Grid’s 24-hour emergency number for gas emergencies and don’t return to your home until you feel safe.
You can report power outages by calling 1-800-867-5222. You can view outages in the National Grid system online .
