National Grid preps for mid-week storm

WALTHAM, Mass. (WPRI) -- As many residents of the East Coast continue to clean up the damage left behind by Hurricane Sandy, another storm is making its way towards the area.

National Grid workers put in countless hours to get power back to Rhode Islanders after Sandy, and it looks as though more work may be in their future.

The state has been put under a High Wind Watch until Thursday morning , with northeast winds forecasted to be 25-35 miles per hour, and possible gusts of up to 40-60 miles per hour.

The utility company tells us that they're ready and prepared for however many outages this week's storm causes. The Nor'easter is expected to impact the state late Wednesday into early Thursday and bring heavy rain, winds, and possibly snow.

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"While this storm is not expected to be of the magnitude we experienced during Hurricane Sandy, it still could cause damage to our system in New England," said V.P. of Electric Operations in New England Kathy Lyford in a statement. "We are developing plans so that we are ready to respond to service interruptions, but we also want our customers to be aware, monitor the weather, and take precautions so that they remain safe during the storm."

National Grid has crews working across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to prepare for the oncoming storm and coordinate the most effective response to any outages. Many workers from others states are still in Rhode Island to help with the Sandy effort, so their resources have been factored in as well.

For anyone looking to utilize a portable generator in the event of an outage, Champion Power Equipment recalled two of their models this week due to possible fuel leaks.