Central Hudson crews work to restore service to customers impacted by ice storm

Greene County: 21

Orange County: 15

Ulster County: 29,700

With sleet, freezing rain and wintry weather are expected to continue into the afternoon, the utility expects additional outages to occur during the day. Restoration activities are expected to extend into Saturday and possibly Sunday.

“Central Hudson’s crews are working to make repairs and restore power to our customers as safely and quickly as possible,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “In addition to our full complement of internal crews and contractors, we’re expecting mutual aid from Indiana, northern Pennsylvania and upstate New York my mid-day today. In total, Central Hudson expects to have a field force of more than 400 line and tree professionals working to address more than 400 individual damage locations. We will continue to pursue additional mutual aid resources to speed restoration and expect more will be available as weather conditions improve.”

Winter Storm Landon began as rain throughout the Hudson Valley on Thursday but transitioned over to a wintry mix overnight. Ice accumulations in many areas caused tree limbs to break and fall onto powerlines. With freezing rain and snow in the forecast throughout much of Friday, Central Hudson expects restoration efforts for the most heavily impacted areas to extend into the weekend.

“These powerful storms have come in waves and left significant damage in their wake. We know how critical it is to restore service to our customers and we appreciate their patience as we continue to make progress,” Hawthorne added.

Residents are advised to exercise an abundance of caution around downed power lines by staying at least 30 feet away, and remember that downed lines can become entangled and hidden in fallen limbs. Residents should also remember to assume any downed power lines are live.

Weather forecasts call for falling temperatures today and tonight, with frigid conditions overnight and on Saturday. “Extreme cold poses an added risk to our most vulnerable customers. Central Hudson continues to partner with our local officials and first responders in order to ensure our elderly and infirm customers remain safe,” said Hawthorne. Residents are reminded to check in on their neighbors as well. Also, as cold temperatures can pose a risk to plumbing, residents may wish to consider allowing faucets to drip and/or opening faucets.

Customers are advised to keep safety in mind, particularly during power interruptions:

Never use kitchen stoves or outdoor gas or charcoal grills indoors, as they pose a fire hazard and over time can give off carbon monoxide gas;

Beware of fallen trees and limbs, and use caution when traveling;

Avoid the use of candles for illumination due to fire hazards;

Follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions on the use of emergency generators, and be sure to shut off the main breaker when in use and operate the units outdoors;

Operate cars and motor vehicles outdoors only, and never inside the garage; and

Avoid travel along roadways as hazardous conditions may cause driving accidents, including those involving utility poles which may cause power interruptions.

Visit hudsonvalleyweather.com for the latest forecast information.

Customer should avoid cold weather hazards by:

Exercising care when using space heaters by keeping them away from flammable materials such as paper or curtains, placing them out of areas of foot traffic, and shutting them off when not in use;

Clearing ice that has the potential to fall, particularly near doorways and around utility meters, and keeping meters free of snow by lightly brushing them with a broom;

Keeping chimneys and flues clear of ice, snow and other obstructions to prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home; and

Exercise caution when outdoors or avoid spending time outside when possible.

Customers can stay informed of storm and restoration conditions in the following ways:

By text messaging: Customers should enroll in Central Hudson’s Texting Program to use text messaging to report their power condition and to obtain repair status. To enroll, visit CentralHudson.com/Alerts or text REG to 236483;

On the Web: Visit CentralHudson.com/Storms to report outages and obtain restoration updates;

Via smart phones: A mobile version of the Central Hudson’s website can be accessed by web-enabled cell phones and mobile devices at https://mobile.CenHud.com. Updated free Central Hudson mobile applications are available for Android and Apple devices by logging onto www.cenhud.com/mobileapp;

Through social media: “Like” Central Hudson on Facebook (Facebook.com/CentralHudson) and “Follow” on Twitter (Twitter.com/CentralHudson); and

By phone: Call the Central Hudson PowerLine at (845) 452-2700 or 1-800-527-2714, and please use the automated system to report or monitor your power condition.

If a member of your household needs electricity to operate life sustaining equipment, please contact customer service at (845) 452-2700.

More information on preparing for storms and emergencies and communicating with Central Hudson is available at www.CentralHudson.com; for information regarding electric and natural gas safety, visit www.CentralHudson.com/Safety.