National Grid Prepares for Tropical Storm Henri

Brooklyn and Hicksville, New York – As Tropical Storm Henri continues to track northeast, National Grid is monitoring and actively preparing for potential high winds, torrential rains and flooding that could impact the region, especially eastern Long Island.

“We have completed our pre-storm preparations and we also urge customers to take precautions and prepare for challenges the storm may present,” said Tim Graham, Vice President, Gas Field Operations, National Grid New York. ”We encourage customers to be alert for extensive flooding along low-lying areas, which could impact service.”

Though its precise path is uncertain, the latest forecasts shows Tropical Storm Henri could make landfall in the northeast by this weekend and strengthen to a hurricane. Even if it doesn’t make landfall directly, it could still bring flooding and tropical force winds to the region.

National Grid is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Henri’s path and is ready to respond quickly and safely should there be any impacts.  Crews are on standby and the company plans to begin patrols in low-lying areas.

In the event of a gas emergency, or customers smell gas, National Grid advises customers to:  

• Call 911 or National Grid’s 24-hour gas emergency number:  for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island at 718-643-4050; for Long Island and the Rockaway Peninsula call 1-800-490-0045.

In addition, the company offers the following safety tips for customers in the event of severe flooding:

• 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, please contact a licensed plumbing or heating contractor before contacting National Grid. The licensed plumbing or heating contractor should verify that your gas appliances are safe to operate before National Grid restores gas service.
• Don’t forget to check outdoor natural gas appliances, such as pool heaters and gas grills.
• Listen for important announcements on television and radio from emergency officials about possible evacuations or other emergency procedures.
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.

For further information on safety and reliability, customers should visit the following pages on our website: New York City Safety and Reliability and Long Island Safety and Reliability.