NYSEG and RG&E Prepare for Heavy Winds Across the State - 5:30 p.m.

Customers Advised to Monitor Forecasts and Watch for Downed Power Lines

ROCHESTER, NY — April 3, 2018 — NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of AVANGRID (NYSE: AGR), are monitoring weather forecasts in advance of a potential wind storm forecasted for New York State.  High winds are expected Wednesday through Thursday across NYSEG and RG&E service areas, particularly along the lakeshore and western areas in the Companies' Lancaster, Lockport, Rochester and Sodus divisions (portions of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga and Wyoming Counties). Due to the widespread nature of the forecasted weather, the Companies are preparing resources in all service areas statewide. Customers can sign up for alerts at nyseg.com or rge.com to automatically receive the latest updates by phone, text, or email as the companies report the status of outages and restoration progress in specific areas.

“Our storm readiness teams are monitoring the weather patterns closely and have prepositioned more than 1,000 company and contract personnel consisting of company, contractor and mutual assistance line workers and tree crews,” said Patricia Nilsen, Director of Emergency Preparedness at AVANGRID. “We will be ready to respond to downed power lines and potential power interruptions caused by wind.”

Power Restoration Priorities
NYSEG's and RG&E's first priorities are to respond to known incidents of downed power lines to make the situations safe. (NYSEG customers are asked to call 800-572-1131 to report downed wires. RG&E customers are asked to call 800-743-1701). Once this vital public safety work is complete, the company will assess the damage to the electricity delivery system and develop a detailed restoration plan. Crews will make repairs as quickly as possible.


NYSEG and RG&E offer the following reminders to customers:

During a Power Interruption

  • Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power could also be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
  • To report a power interruption, contact NYSEG at 800-572-1131 or RG&E at
    800-743-1701. Our telephone systems let callers report the problem, help our crews respond quickly and efficiently, and provide customers with power interruption updates. Due to a large number of customers trying to reach us during a power interruption, phone lines may be busy. Anyone who has access to a working computer or mobile device during a power interruption can also report the interruption online at nyseg.com or rge.com.
  • Listen to a battery-powered radio for weather and power restoration updates.
    • Turn off major appliances (electric water heaters, refrigerators and freezers) and sensitive electronic equipment (TVs, computers and audio equipment) to prevent overloading and possible damage when power is restored. Turning off equipment may mean unplugging it, turning off a circuit breaker or removing a fuse for the circuit that provides power to this equipment. Leave one light switch “on” to know when power has been restored.
  • Don't use a natural gas or propane range to heat your home.
  • Never use outdoor grills or stoves inside.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.
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