Approximately 3,400 Central Hudson customers remain without electricity as of mid-afternoon on Friday, with service restored to more than 10,000 others since a damaging storm rumbled through the Hudson Valley on Thursday evening.  The largest concentration of outages remains in Ulster County, with the communities of Denning, Olive, Saugerties and Woodstock impacted in particular.

     “Many of those still without power are effected by smaller or isolated outages that will be both time- and labor-consuming to correct,” said Central Hudson President James P. Laurito. He said that if no additional damaging weather systems impact the area, that service could be restored to approximately 90 percent of those still without power by midnight tonight.

     “We are, however, keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts, which continue to include the potential for powerful storms. If that is the case, we will deploy all necessary resources to restore service in the communities we serve, but we will again prioritize those repairs that restore electricity to the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible,” he explained.

     Laurito reminded customers of the importance of reporting a power outage by either calling 1-800-527-2714 (and using the automated prompts) or visiting the StormCentral section of the Central Hudson website, www.CentralHudson.com.

     Updated information regarding power conditions and repair status are available in the StormCentral section of the website as soon as they become available.  In order to obtain information regarding the extent of outages in any given community, users must simply click on “View the Outage Map” in the left column on the front page. Once on that page, refer to the top right of the page and see the options titled “Legend” and “Summary.” Click on Summary, and then “Outages by County.” Once there, simply click the “+” sign to the left of an individual county, and a listing of all municipalities within it will be displayed for a comprehensive overview of outages, town by town.

     In order to prepare for the possibility of bad weather, Laurito reminded customers to:

• Pay attention to weather advisories and storm warnings.
• Keep a flashlight and fresh batteries handy.
• Have a battery-powered radio to keep informed of restoration efforts.
• Check for packaged or canned foods that require no refrigeration or cooking. Avoid opening a refrigerator unnecessarily during outages, so food lasts longer.
• Be sure to have a non-electric can opener.
• If the home has an electric water pump, always keep an emergency supply of bottled water on hand for drinking and washing. If a major storm is forecast, fill a bathtub with water as an added reserve.
• Remember, never use outdoor gas or charcoal grills indoors. They pose a fire hazard, and over time can give off deadly carbon monoxide gas. Use these appliances only outdoors with proper ventilation.
• Learn how to open the garage door manually, if an electrically operated, automatic, remote door opener is typically in use.
• Customers who depend on electrically operated life-support equipment should call Central Hudson at (845) 452-2700 or
  1-800-527-2714 and speak to a customer service representative before there is an emergency.

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