x
Breaking News
More () »

Utility crews making preps ahead of wind storm

National Grid says utility crews and equipment is in the process of being moved Friday and Saturday. Crews are being staged in Buffalo, Batavia, and Fredonia.

National Grid and NYSEG say they've been looking at the forecast for days.

"We're looking at it as a potentially major event yes," said Dave Bertola, a spokesperson for National Grid.

National Grid says utility crews and equipment is in the process of being moved Friday and Saturday. Crews are being staged in Buffalo, Batavia, and Fredonia. 

"We're starting to finalize where those crews are going to end up," Bertola said.

National Grid says it will have more than 2,000 workers on the clock, trying to keep the power on across Western New York. More workers can be called in out-of-state if needed.

NYSEG says it will start staging equipment Saturday and have additional crews to respond to downed power lines, but they didn't say how many. 

Verizon will also have crews out focusing on maintaining cell service. 

"Verizon builds our networks to be crisis-ready, we do that not just by saying it but by ensuring that we have generator backups at our cell sites. In the Buffalo area, we have generators at the vast majority of our cell sites," said David Weissmann, a spokesperson for Verizon.

But, remember even if your power goes out and crews are on the scene, they may not be able to actually restore your power.

"Even with the heavy winds putting crews up in the bucket trucks you just can't do that during a wind storm either," Bertola said.

He says National Grid workers have to wait until the wind dies down -- slower than 40 miles per hour. 

REPORTER: So people who are out of power for Sunday they may not get back until Monday or Tuesday? 

“Potentially that's what we ran into a couple years ago," Bertola.

And the City of Buffalo says it may shut roads down, near the Erie Basin Marina if it gets bad.

The City of Buffalo tells us that it's checking on which emergency contractors will be available this weekend. And, Mayor Byron Brown is already saying no unnecessary travel on Sunday.

Up in Niagara Falls, if outages get to be widespread the city may look to opening up warming shelters for anyone impacted. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out