Storm season is every season. From winter blizzards in the northeast to late-summer hurricane damage down south, our crews restore outages to affected communities with the help of local authorities and industry peers.
Voluntary partnership is a must when it comes to safety. A recent example is what happened in Florida in October 2024 when Hurricane Milton tore through multiple cities along the coast. With the imminent weather seen beforehand, we pre-stationed crews down south to help restoration efforts as soon as possible. In addition to those crews, we had 43 Massachusetts employees join them. Our line workers, fleet crews and safety experts teamed up with other utilities from multiple states to repair lines, clear roads and restore power.
Earlier that year, Winter Storm Elliot brought extreme winds up to 65mph, heavy snow totaling 40in in some areas and freezing temperatures to western New York requiring what became the largest field force in western New York’s history. Over 3,100 personnel from National Grid teamed up with other support crews that came in from across the country to help the region.
220,000 customers across the region were affected when the the storm caused significant damage, including 400 broken poles and 100 damaged transformers. Within 32.5 hours of the storm’s peak, 95% of customers were restored and after 62.5 hours, 100% restoration was achieved after crews could safely get to hardest hit areas.
From these extremes to anything in between, our crews prioritize the safety and well-being of our customers and our workers when restoring power to affected areas.