As Hurricane Milton Exits, Dozens of Additional National Grid Massachusetts Employees Head to Florida

WALTHAM, MA - National Grid this morning sent an additional 43 employees, including fleet personnel, safety personnel, field supervisors, and management employees, as well as the Company’s Mobile Emergency Operations Center (MEOC) vehicle to assist in deploying and managing National Grid’s storm response.  These operations specialists will continue to support storm restoration efforts in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton, which has left over 3 million homes and businesses without power.

“As we all woke up to reports of the devastation in Florida this morning, our additional National Grid Massachusetts electric crews were already well on their journey south to assist,” said Lisa Wieland, President of National Grid New England. “I am so proud of these employees who have jumped into action, assisting in back-back catastrophic storms, as well as the National Grid employees who are supporting the complex logistics of their travel, lodging, fueling, and meals so their colleagues can focus on restoration.”

Since Sept. 28, about 50 National Grid Massachusetts employees have already been supporting restoration efforts in the region after Hurricane Helene brought extensive damage. Those National Grid crews continued to Florida and will soon be joined by an additional 43 employees to support Tampa Electric.

In addition, the company’s Massachusetts team is joined by 160 National Grid electric employee and contractor colleagues from New York who will be assisting Duke Energy in storm preparation and response.

The complexity of power restoration after a catastrophic storm requires significant logistical expertise, along with skilled line workers and specialized equipment, which is why utilities rely on each other for aid. National Grid typically sends crews to assist other utilities following severe storms as part of a mutual assistance program. Similarly, other utilities from across the country and Canada respond to assistance requests from National Grid following severely damaging storms.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, eventually lessening to a Category 1, with wind gusts of up to 100 mph recorded near Tampa and sustained winds powerful enough to cause severe damage to trees, homes, and critical infrastructure.