High Winds Forecasted for Region

The National Weather Service is predicting the potential for severe weather in the Mid-Hudson Valley region beginning Friday afternoon, with the possibility of high winds and thunderstorms that may bring down trees and limbs, which may cause interruptions to electric service. Central Hudson is preparing crews in the event outages result from these winds and storms.

“Our customers can also prepare for the possibility of service interruptions caused by severe weather,” said Charles A. Freni, Senior Vice President of Customer Services. “Before the storm strikes, have a flashlight on hand with fresh batteries, and make sure you have adequate supplies of food, water, prescription medicines and other necessities.

“If you should lose power, please report your condition by using Central Hudson’s automated PowerLine system at 1-800-527-2714 or (845) 452-2700. This helps to identify the location of outages and allows us to assign repair crews more quickly,” said Freni.

Freni advised that customers listen to radio reports of restoration efforts, and check on elderly neighbors and relatives to see of they may need assistance. To preserve food, limit opening refrigerators and freezers, and unplug larger appliances to avoid a power surge when electric service is restored. Customers are advised not to attempt to heat their homes using gas ovens, ranges or any type of grill. They are also reminded to stay away from downed lines or trees which may be entangled in lines, and report these to Central Hudson.

For more information on how to prepare and respond to electric service interruptions, visit www.CentralHudson.com and click onto “Outages.” 

#          #          #