EAST BAY — If you see several helicopters flying overhead on Wednesday, July 27, don’t be alarmed.

In the wake of recent lightning storms, National Grid will be conducting aerial inspections of sub-transmission electric lines in Rhode Island communities between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Helicopter flyovers will identify and address potential problems in the sub-transmission lines before they impact electric service for customers, according to Lori J. Spangler, community and customer manager for National Grid in Rhode Island.

The aerial inspections complement the regular ground-level inspections and efficiently cover National Grid’s sub-transmission system, even across rugged and isolated terrain, Ms. Spangler said.

“The helicopter inspections are conducted by experienced trained personnel using high-powered gyroscopic binoculars and infrared technology,” Ms. Spangler said. “They are particularly interested in signs of wear on power line conductors and lightning protection devices; damaged or leaning structures; loose or broken guy wires; broken, chipped or cracked insulator equipment; and trees leaning toward the lines or into the transmission corridors.”