Jul 7, 2021
Crews Continue Restoration Efforts After Tuesday’s Powerful Storms

Crews from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. have restored power to more than 20,000 customers after isolated, but powerful thunderstorms brought 70 mile per hour winds, lightning strikes and hail to portions of Ulster, Dutchess and Orange counties on Tuesday afternoon and interrupted service to more than 30,000 customers.  As of 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, approximately 10,000 homes and businesses are without power, with the vast majority of outages located in central and eastern Dutchess County.

“Central Hudson has a field force of more than 340 line and tree professionals, including contractors, working to restore power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible, with additional personnel providing logistic and material support, ” said Ryan Hawthorne Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “Tuesday’s storms moved quickly and caused damage to the electrical grid in more than 400 individual locations including 11 broken poles and 327 reports of wires down.”

Central Hudson expects service to be restored to 95 percent of impacted customers by the following dates and times:

  • Orange County – 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 7; complete restoration expected by 8 p.m.
  • Ulster County – 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 7; complete restoration expected by 10 p.m.
  • Dutchess County – 10 p.m., Wednesday, July 7. Complete restoration for Northern and Southern Dutchess expected by 2 p.m. The hardest hit areas of Central Dutchess County (Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, Millbrook and LaGrange) are expected to be completed by 12 p.m., Thursday July 8.

 

 “Our crews will continue to work throughout the day and night as long as weather conditions permit. Given the extensive damage from these storms we anticipate having the majority of customers restored by Wednesday night and the remaining customers from the most heavily impacted areas restored by midday Thursday, however the potential for thunderstorms this afternoon and evening may result in additional outages,” 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.

Representatives will be monitoring and communicating with vulnerable customers registered as using any electrically operated medical equipment, and will perform field checks as necessary to ensure their help and safety

Central Hudson will also distribute dry ice and bottled water on Wednesday at the following locations and times:

  • Highland Lowe’s Home Improvement, 650 Route 299, Highland – Starting at 10 a.m.
  • Poughkeepsie Home Depot, 3470 North Rd., Poughkeepsie – Starting at 11 a.m.
  • Union Vale Fire House, 3373 Route 82, Verbank – Starting at 11 a.m.

Hawthorne reminded residents to keep safety in mind, particularly during power interruptions:

  • 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 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.

 

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.

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A fallen tree on Carlyle Road in Hyde Park that knocked down wires. A Central Hudson wire guard secures the scene until repairs can be made.