Newburgh - Central Hudson's field force of approximately 1,000 people, the largest in its history, is making progress in tackling repairs in the aftermath of two severe storms that combined to interrupt electric service for 150,000 customers, more than any other storm event in the last century. Despite the progress, however, more than a thousand individual repairs remain to be made and officials warn that the full restoration will take several more days.
As of Saturday afternoon, about 114,000 customers remained without electricity, some of which represented new cases of trouble related to continuing weather problems. Saturday afternoon outages were located by county as follows: Albany: 600; Columbia: 30; Dutchess: 45,000; Greene: 6,000; Orange: 33,500; Putnam 4,400; and Ulster: 24,000.
Officials expect that additional outages may be reported through the weekend, even as power is restored to some customers. Customers are therefore advised to be prepared with adequate supplies of non-perishable food, water and medications on hand in the event their power is interrupted. If power is lost, those customers with access to a computer or compatible cell phone should report their power condition via the website at the address above where they can also access information regarding the extent of outages; once service restoration estimates become available, they will be found on the website.
Customers may also contact the utility by calling (845) 452-2700 or 1 (800) 527-2714 to report a power outage, but they are encouraged to use the automated reporting system to do so. Between Tuesday and Friday, the utility's telephone system handled 222,000 calls, as compared to the approximately 15,000 calls that are handled in a routine week, and registered 71,000 orders regarding outages.
As of Saturday afternoon, the hardest-hit areas remain southern Dutchess and Orange counties, as well as communities in higher elevations. Roads in some locations remain impassable, and conditions are so bad in some remote locations that Central Hudson repair crews have used snowshoes to access off-road facilities in order to make repairs. Crews will continue to work around the clock, repairing electric facilities, clearing fallen trees and providing emergency response throughout the utility's eight-county service.
Central Hudson's contingent of 62 two- and three-man crews has been supplemented with 198 two and three-man crews from other locations. In addition, 98 tree-trimming crews, also comprised of two or three men each, and hundreds of Central Hudson personnel from other departments are assisting with logistical support as part of the largest restoration effort the utility has ever staged. Even some retirees have been called in to assist with the massive effort.
Still, customers in some locations should expect that restoration will take several more days, and those without electric service should make alternate arrangements for shelter. Emergency shelters have been established by the Red Cross and other agencies (see a complete list at
www.CentralHudson.com).
As of Saturday afternoon, Central Hudson had distributed 65,000 pounds of dry ice and 8,500 bottles of water to customers in need. That distribution will continue as long as needed, and additional supplies of both are due throughout the course of the weekend. Updated schedules will be made available to local media outlets and will be available on Central Hudson's website,
www.CentralHudson.com, in the StormCentral section.
Customers are also reminded to check on frail or elderly neighbors, relatives or friends - including any who may rely on electrically operated life-sustaining equipment - and encourage them to seek alternate shelter, as it may take several days before their power is restored.
All local residents are reminded to stay clear of downed or sagging wires - they could be lethal. As fallen wires may be hidden by trees or debris, extreme caution should be used when moving through an outage zone. If a power line falls on a vehicle, occupants should stay inside and wait for rescue crews. Customers should not heat their homes with an unvented heater, gas range or any similar appliance, as they can produce deadly carbon monoxide. Generators should be operated only in a vented, dry location; outdoor gas grills should never be used to heat indoors because they pose a fire hazard and can give off deadly carbon monoxide gas.
For updates, safety tips, list of shelter locations and more information on how to prepare for storms, visit
www.CentralHudson.com.
