Repair crews are making steady progress in restoring electric service following a damaging storm that initially interrupted electric service to more than 26,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation on Wednesday evening. As of 7:00 p.m., service has been restored to nearly 24,000 customers, and approximately 2,250 remain without power, the majority located in Greene (1,270), Ulster (425), Sullivan (250) and Albany (220) counties. While electric service is anticipated to be restored to the vast majority of impacted customers by tonight, repairs in the hardest-hit areas are expected to be completed by mid-day Friday. By county, Central Hudson expects service to be restored to 95 percent of impacted customers by the following dates and times:

• Sullivan County: 10:00 p.m., Thursday, October 8;
• Albany County: 11:00 p.m., Thursday, October 8;
• Greene County: 9:00 a.m., Friday, October 9;
• Ulster County: 10:00 a.m., Friday, October 9

“A compliment of more than 375 line and tree workers are working safely and efficiently to restore electric service, and will continue to do so tonight and tomorrow to address the remaining 140 damage locations,” said Charles A. Freni, President and CEO of Central Hudson. “Repairs include broken poles and downed wires, with heavy tree damage in some areas.

“We again thank our municipal and county partners in working with us to clear roads and restore service. As always, we appreciate the assistance and efforts of these first responders,” he said.

Freni reminded customers who are without power to avoid opening freezers and refrigerators. A closed refrigerator can keep food cold for up to 24 hours, and a closed freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours. Perishable items can also be stored in coolers with ice. Due to a national shortage of dry ice, Central Hudson is unable to secure these supplies before restoration efforts will be completed.

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

• Stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees. Assume all downed lines are live;
• Never use 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 or 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.

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. Free Central Hudson mobile applications for Android and Apple and are also available by logging onto com/mobileapp;
• Through social media: “Like” Central Hudson on Facebook (Facebook.com/CentralHudson) and “Follow” on Twitter (www.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.

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.

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Line crew repairs a broken pole, damaged transformer and downed power lines on Laura Lane in Woodstock.