Storm Safety

Weather storms by preparing ahead of time

Once the power is out, you may not be able to view our safety tips, so download a copy of our reference, Weathering Storm Emergencies (Sobreviviendo Emergencias de Tormentas), print it out, and have it handy when storms are on the horizon. In the meantime, review the safety tips below.

Downed Power Lines

We urge you to avoid downed power lines. Even lines that appear dead can be deadly. Please call 800.572.1131 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations. Refrain from removing tree debris as downed power lines may be entangled in them. No line is safe to touch, ever!

Flooded Basements

Stay out of flooded basements because energized wiring or outlets below the water line may pose a hazard. Natural gas service in a flooded basement may also pose a danger. If your basement or home is in danger of flooding, contact us to turn off your electricity and/or natural gas service.

Life-Sustaining Equipment

Anyone who uses life-sustaining equipment that operates on electricity should contact us at 800.572.1111. We may enroll you in one of our critical customer programs or provide you with specific advice on how to prepare for power interruptions.

Additional Tips

Prepare for outages by viewing our storm checklist and following these additional tips.

• Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. You may have simply blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.
• Stay informed if your power goes out by signing up for our free Outage Alerts service. You’ll automatically receive notifications with the latest information about your power outage.
• Contact us at 800.572.1131 to report a power interruption, and please have your account number handy. Our telephone systems let you report the problem, helps our crews respond quickly and efficiently, and provides you with power interruption updates. You can call as often as you like for updates. Because many people may be trying to reach us during a power interruption, phone lines may be busy. Please be patient.
• If your basement or home is in danger of flooding, contact us to turn off your electricity and/or natural gas service. Never enter a flooded basement or home until electricity and natural gas service have been turned off.
• Emergency generators can be dangerous. If you use one, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Operate your generator outdoors in a clean, dry, well-ventilated area and never indoors or in a garage.
• State law requires that if the traffic lights or controls are out of service or malfunctioning when you approach an intersection, you must come to a stop as you would for a stop sign. You must then proceed according to the rules of right of way, unless you are directed to proceed by a traffic officer.

After Your Power Is Restored

• If your basement or home was flooded, have an electrician check your home and have a plumbing and heating contractor check natural gas appliances before contacting us to have services turned on.
• Turn on appliances and sensitive electronic equipment one at a time to avoid overloading your circuits.
• Replenish emergency supplies used during the storm.

Weather conditions and state warnings

View weather conditions and the forecast from the national weather service and state emergencies, warnings and safety tips at NY alert.

How we restore service:

Our first priority is responding to known incidents of downed power lines to make the situations safe.

Once this vital public safety work is complete, we will:

• Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.
• Develop a detailed restoration plan.
• Make repairs as quickly as possible.

How we restore power following major storms

We first repair the backbone of the electricity system – transmission lines and substations – that bring electricity to the local distribution system that serves our customers. We then make any necessary repairs to the distribution system that includes the poles and power lines along streets and roads. As part of this process, we take into account the needs of hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations, as well as any other critical infrastructure.

We also keep in regular contact with our customers who depend on electrically-operated life support equipment.

This is a time-proven process that ensures we safely restore service as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Lightning Safety

The national weather service's lightning safety site has safety information, photos, stories, teacher tools and a kid's page.