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Stay clear of downed or sagging wires – they could be lethal. Warn children and others to stay away. Fallen wires may be hidden by trees or debris, so exercise extreme caution when moving through an outage zone. If you see someone who is being electrocuted by a downed wire DO NOT TOUCH THEM WITHOUT PROTECTION. Attempt to free them only with a rubber or wooden object, such as a heavy tree limb, or you, yourself, may be electrocuted.
If you or someone in your household needs electricity to operate a life-sustaining device, make arrangements in advance for a back-up power supply or transportation to a facility with emergency power in case of a power outage.
When possible, Central Hudson will provide advance notification of impending, severe weather that may result in power outages within our service territory, to those customers identified as using life support devices. Call our office at (845) 452-2700 or 1-800-527-2714 or download an application for the Life Support Program  . Return your completed form (which requires your doctor’s certification) to:
Central Hudson
Attention Consumer Outreach
284 South Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601
This identification on your account will remain in effect as long as the device is required. We will mail an annual certification form to you to be completed and returned by the attending physician.
As an added service, we will place a special tag on your meter and code your account to identify that life support is in use.
The service is also available for any tenants who require life support equipment and receive electricity service through the landlord’s account.
Traffic signals, street lights and freeway entrance signals are out of service during a power outage, greatly increasing the risk of traffic accidents. It is vital to use extreme caution when traveling the roadways, and the following guidelines can help minimize the risk of traffic accidents during a power outage.
Drivers
- Proceed with extreme caution, and only when traffic permits.
- If you have to pull off the road, pull off completely and use your emergency flashers.
- Yield to emergency vehicles.
- Obey law enforcement officers or volunteers who are directing traffic.
- Treat traffic lights as a four-way stop. The person on the right should have the right-of-way, but advance slowly – other drivers may not be as cautious.
- Enter intersections or highways only when it’s safe.
- Use turn signals to let other drivers know where you want to go.
- Use extreme caution in school zones.
- Yield to pedestrians at intersections. Be alert for walkers who may be obscured by weather.
Pedestrians
- Use extreme caution when traveling on or crossing roadways. You may be hard to see in inclement weather, and drivers may have a difficult time stopping their vehicles.
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing an intersection.
Never use an elevator during a power outage, and never use an elevator if a rolling outage could occur. These are the most important safety rules to prevent being trapped in an elevator.
Other vital prevention steps include proper maintenance of all elevator emergency power sources, alarms, lights and telephone systems, as well as posting signs at each elevator entrance if outages are likely.
If you are stuck in an elevator during an outage:
- Stay calm and don’t panic.
- Wait for emergency personnel to rescue you. Don’t try to open the doors between floors or climb onto the roof of the elevator.
- Many elevators are equipped with emergency back-up power to bring elevators to the first floor during a power outage.
- Most elevators have telephones to alert building security, maintenance or the elevator company.
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