National Grid Responding to Impacts of Blizzard

WALTHAM, Mass — National Grid has crews positioned across Massachusetts to respond to a powerful blizzard impacting the entire state today, bringing heavy snow, sustained and damaging wind gusts, and concerns about coastal flooding. While crews are ready to respond, severe weather conditions are expected to significantly impede restoration work throughout the day.

National Grid has mobilized more than 600 crews and support personnel across Massachusetts as part of its storm response, including line workers, forestry crews, damage assessors, and support staff. These resources are staged statewide and ready to respond as conditions allow.

The storm has already resulted in widespread power outages across Massachusetts and is expected to persist through Monday. Forecasts call for up to two feet of snowfall in some areas, sustained high winds, near?zero visibility at times, and extremely hazardous road conditions. Wind gusts have exceeded 70 mph in parts of the state, with snowfall rates reaching 1 to 3 inches per hour.

"These are extremely challenging and dangerous conditions for both the public and our crews," said Christopher Laird, Chief Operating Officer, National Grid New England Electric. "High winds, heavy snow, and poor visibility make it unsafe to perform many types of restoration work, including operating bucket trucks. While our crews are deployed and ready, weather conditions are expected to limit restoration efforts throughout the day."

Field personnel are prioritizing emergency response activities such as 911 calls and reports of downed wires. Full damage assessments, tree removal, and infrastructure repairs will begin as conditions allow. Sustained winds and poor road conditions may delay access to outage locations and slow restoration progress.

Once conditions improve and full restoration work can safely begin, National Grid expects to restore service to the majority of impacted customers within approximately three days, though restoration timelines will vary based on damage and access.

National Grid urges customers to remain off the roads during the storm. For those who must travel, please slow down and go around work zones and give crews the space they need to operate safely once restoration work begins.

Customers can track outages and restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central.  Restoration times may change as crews assess damage and as weather conditions improve. The company appreciates customers' patience and understanding as crews work to restore service as quickly and safely as conditions allow.

The company offers the following tips and reminders:  

Customers Should Stay Connected:  

• Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212.
• Use your mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid's mobile site, accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram; we post all the latest storm and restoration updates.
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central
• To stay connected during storms and outages, text to 64743 using any of the below commands.
  • REG to sign up for text alerts
  • OUT to report an outage
  • STAT to get a status of your outage
  • SUM followed by your town, county, or state to get a summary of outages in your area
  • HELP for the complete list of commands 

Stay Safe: 

• Never touch downed power lines, and always assume that any fallen lines are live electric wires. If you see one, report it immediately to National Grid or your local emergency response organization. 
• Power problems can sometimes interrupt public water supply systems or disable well pumps, so it's an excellent idea to keep a supply of bottled drinking water handy, as well as some canned food. 
• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, call the company's Customer Service Center at 1-800-322-3223. 
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors, and others who may need assistance during an outage.   

Electric Safety:

• If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, disconnect from National Grid's system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could jeopardize the safety of line crews and the public. 
• If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off, but leave one light on so you will know when power is restored. 

Gas Safety:

• If you suspect a natural gas leak:
• Get Out - All occupants should leave the house immediately. Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
• Call Us – After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency numbers:
• New England:1-800-640-1595
• Stay Out - Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

Reminder: It's not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. Our line workers begin restoration work only when conditions are deemed safe. 

Dalton Fire District Voters OK 'Surprise' Building Purchase

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:25AM / Wednesday, May 13, 2026

An image of 30-32 Flansburgh from the town's assessor data. 

DALTON, Mass. — For several years, the district has been working with limited space, and a vote at the annual meeting is expected to help ease those constraints.

 

During the meeting on Tuesday at the Stationary Factory, 48 voters approved 24 of the 25 articles on the warrant, including the purchase of 30-32 Flansburgh Ave., directly next to the current station. 

 

If the property passes the home inspection, the district would purchase the multi-family home from its current owner Richard Olsted for $350,000. 

 

The property is a two-family duplex built in 1920 with more than 6,000 square feet on a fifth of an acre. Its assessed value according to information in the town's database is $305,200. It's estimated on Zillow at $312,500, with a potential high of $350,000.

 

As part of the agreement for the purchase cost, the district agreed to allow Olsted to reside in one of the building's units for as long as he chooses, with the understanding that he will be responsible for utilities and will not be required to pay rent.

 

The foreseeable purpose of the other units will be to create proper housing for emergency services personnel. 

 

The department currently has three makeshift bedrooms in the fire station that were described as not well suited for a regular ambulance service.