With Henri Approaching, UI Urges Customers to Prepare, Stay Safe

UI and mutual aid crews and equipment are staged and ready to address damages

ORANGE, Connecticut — August 21, 2021 — With Hurricane Henri expected to make landfall near United Illuminating’s service area, the company, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. [NYSE: AGR] is urging customers to finalize their preparations. Landfall is expected tomorrow afternoon with impacts beginning tomorrow morning. Whatever the storm does, UI teams are ready to respond, clearing roads and restoring power as quickly and safely as possible.

Throughout the day, crews have been preparing. Approximately 500 utility poles, 1,400 transformers, many miles of wire and other equipment is available to support restoration efforts. Crews have been at work patrolling lines, building water barriers to protect critical substations, and finishing key resiliency projects and tree trimming. A number of new recloser devices have also been installed today and this week. These devices can automatically “repair” situations where a tree limb has brushed across a line and caused a circuit to “open” or fail. If the line is undamaged, reclosers “close” these connections so power can flow again.

Once Henri arrives, crews will begin working as soon as conditions safely allow. Restoration efforts will focus first on essential safety activities such as removing downed wires and working with municipalities to clear any blocked roads. As a reminder, never assume a downed wire is a dead wire. It’s never safe to touch a downed wire. Also, avoid any downed trees or tree limbs as you may not see wires tangled in them.

There’s still time for customers to prepare themselves. Start with these tips:

Before a Storm:

  • Sign up for Outage Alerts . Text “REG” to 839884 (TEXT-UI) to receive free text alerts if you lose service, along with for restoration updates. Visit uinet.com for additional alert options. Customers are encouraged to download the UI app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
  • Keep long-lasting LED flashlights and lanterns on hand, along with a battery-operated radio, fresh batteries, drinking water, non-perishable foods and prescription medications.
  • Fully charge mobile devices and store emergency contacts in memory.
  • Fuel vehicles and fill spare fuel tanks for generators.

Medical and Life Support Customers:

  • Customers who rely on life-saving medical equipment should have a plan in case of a sudden or extended loss of service. UI medical and life-support customers should register in advance to ensure the company is aware of their needs. Call UI at 800.722.5584 (800.7.CALL.UI).

Safety Tips:

  • Stay far away from downed wires and anything that may be in contact with them. Report downed wires and other electrical hazards to UI at 800-722-5584.
  • If a downed wire comes in contact with your vehicle, stay inside, call 911 and wait for help. If you must get out because of fire or other danger, avoid making contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Jump clear of the vehicle, land with your feet together, and hop away with both feet together, or shuffle away without lifting your feet. Don’t run or stride.
  • Never step into a flooded basement or other room if water may be in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords.
  • If you suspect a natural gas leak, call the emergency number listed on your gas company’s website. (For Southern Connecticut Gas, call 800.513.8898; for Connecticut Natural Gas, call 866.924.5325).

Generators:

  • Do not use a generator that plugs into your home’s electrical system unless it is connected via a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. Improperly connected generators can back-feed electricity into the outside grid and pose a danger to the public and to crews working to restore service.
  • Carefully read and observe the instructions in your generator’s operating manual.
  • Properly ground all portable generators.
  • Never run a generator indoors, in an open garage, or near a window.
  • Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running.

Report an Outage:

  • To report an outage, visit uinet.com or call 800.722.5584 (800.7.CALL.UI).
  • Report outages using the company’s new Mobile App, available from the Apple Store and Google Play.
  • Report outages via UI’s mobile alerts system: text “OUT” to 839884 (TEXT-UI). Registration is required.

Additional storm readiness and safety information:

About UI: The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established in 1899, UI operates approximately 3,600 miles of electric distribution lines and 138 miles of transmission lines. It serves approximately 341,000 customers in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. UI received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Recovery Award in 2019 and 2021. For more information, visit uinet.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR): aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $38 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies – a list of America’s best corporate citizens – and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

Media Contacts:

Bob Brown
bob.brown@avangrid.com
203.241.0072

24/7 Media Hotline
833.MEDIA.55 (833.633.4255)

 

 

 

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