VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: National Grid races to restore power after tornado
Kay Racine: After a tornado storm swept through Central New York they were over 22,000 people left without power.
Jared Paventi: No one wants to be without power we get it we customers too. We understand the inconvenience. We understand that it’s hot out.
Racine: And for folks still without power today in central New York facing this heat that we’re also seeing here in Syracuse help is on the way the national grid has deployed so many resources and has crew working around the clock to make sure your AC comes back on. National Grid representative Jared Paventi said the biggest issue is that national grid representative Jared Paventi said the biggest issue is the damage to utility poles teams have to take six hours just to put up a new pole representative.
Paventi: We are bringing crews and constantly from across the state we have crews from as far away as Louisiana and Oklahoma that are in town to support restoration so we have marshalls large field force to be out there working. It’s just the work itself. It’s time consuming.
Racine: With only 5000 people left to help in this central New York area cruise have been at work, but customers are concerned if they will work, but customers are concerned if they will be any type of financial compensation due to the outages.
Paventi: Our customers pay the bills based on usage so if you don’t use electricity, you’re not paying for the electricity you’re not using.
Racine: So families like this one has resorted to go fund me to raise money to get themselves back on their feet, but for now finding a local cooling center or dressing, but for now finding a local cooling center investing in dry ice from the National Guard is what they recommend until issues are resolved
Paventi: We expect things to be resolved and write it by Tuesday at the end of the day.
Racine: It’s been days of work but if crews stay on pace, homes across Central New York will have power by tonight. Kay Racine, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — A rare and powerful EF1 tornado struck Central New York over the weekend, leaving a trail of devastation and more than 22,000 residents without power. Now, National Grid crews are working 18-hour days to get the lights and air conditioning back on.
The storm touched down in Clark Mills and the town of Kirkland early Sunday morning, with winds reaching 105 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado carved a path more than 2.4 miles long, damaging trees, homes, and power lines. The violent weather event tragically claimed three lives, including twin 6-year-old children.
“The problem is, we knew there would be thunderstorms, no one saw a tornado coming,” said a National Grid representative Jared Paventi. “Tornadoes are a new language in upstate New York, not something we’re used to dealing with, but they’re becoming more prevalent over the past year.”
At the height of the storm’s impact, more than 104,000 National Grid customers were without electricity. While crews have since restored power to the vast majority, thousands of homes remain in the dark.
“The National Grid has deployed more than 2,500 employees to the region,” the Paventi said. “Safety workers are out in the field evaluating the damages and getting the job done for our customers.”
But the recovery effort is far from simple. Much of the damage was to utility poles and sub-transmission lines, both of which are critical for delivering power and difficult to repair.
“There are two big issues: first, there’s been a tremendous amount of damage to our utility poles. It takes a crew six hours to fix just one,” the Paventi said. “Second, there are outages to some of our sub-transmission lots. Those being down affect thousands of customers, and getting to them can be difficult we sometimes have to cut our way in.”
Some of the hardest-hit areas are remote and tough to access, which slows down restoration efforts.
“There are very labor-intensive repairs out there,” he added. “We have crews working 18-hour days and overnights to help our customers get what they pay for.”
To meet the demand, National Grid has brought in support from beyond New York.
“We’re bringing crews from across the state, and even from as far out as Louisiana and Oklahoma,” Paventi said. “They’re all in town to support restorations. It’s just the work itself that’s time-consuming.”
As heat and humidity build across the region, National Grid is urging residents without power to take precautions.
“Look on our website and find cooling centers and take advantage of those,” Paventi said. “There’s also dry ice available you can place it in your refrigerator to keep your food cold and your freezer items frozen.”
They also emphasized that customers are not being billed for power they’re not receiving.
“Our customers’ billing is based on usage, so they can’t be charged for something they don’t have.”
In terms of spoiled food, residents are advised to follow state guidelines.
“There are state regulations that alert people to get rid of unsafe food, but depending on the damage, some may qualify for compensation.”
Despite the massive damage, National Grid says the core power grid is in good shape. The main issues lie in damaged wires, poles, and inaccessible areas. With extra crews on the ground and work underway around the clock, the company is optimistic.
“Everyone should be taken care of by the end of the day Tuesday,” Paventi said. “No one wants to be without power, we get it. We’re customers too.”