Aug 6, 2020
Central Hudson Crews Restore Power to More than 75% of Impacted Customers

  Significant progress continues to be made in the restoration of power throughout Central Hudson’s service area following Tropical Storm Isaias. Electricity has been restored to more than 75 percent of homes and businesses since the storm impacted the area on Tuesday. More than 116,000 customers were affected by the storm, making it the fourth-most severe storm to hit the area in Central Hudson’s history.

  A compliment of more than 700 line and tree personnel along with hundreds of employees in support roles are working to address approximately 1,000 damage locations. As of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, approximately 26,200 homes and businesses within Central Hudson’s service area are without power, with the majority of remaining outages located in Orange County and Dutchess County. Central Hudson anticipates electric service will be restored to 95% of affected customers as follows by county:

  • Columbia County: Friday, August 7, 8 p.m.
  • Dutchess County: Friday, August 7, 11:30 p.m.
  • Orange County: Saturday, August 8, 12 p.m.
  • Putnam County: Friday, August 7, 8 p.m.
  • Ulster County: Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m.

“We know how essential electricity is to our customers, especially during these challenging times, and our team will continue to work around the clock,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Operations and Engineering. “As service restoration progresses, each new repair will restore service to fewer homes and businesses. We will continue to make every effort to restore power as safely and efficiently as possible.”

Central Hudson partnered with Dutchess County to secure a limited of supply of dry ice that will be distributed at the following locations starting at 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., or until supplies run out, on Thursday evening:

  • Poughkeepsie Home Depot, 3470 North Rd., Poughkeepsie 12601
  • Newburgh Armory, 321 S. William St., Newburgh 12550
  • East Fishkill Town Hall, 330 Route 376, Hopewell Junction 12533

Hawthorne reminded residents to practice the following safety tips, especially during service 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 CentralHudson.com/mobileapp;
  • Through social media: “Like” Central Hudson on Facebook (www.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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Isaias Carpenter Ave Newburgh

Central Hudson line crews are continuing work to restore service in Newburgh.

Isaias Water and Ice

Central Hudson workers help load water and ice for a customer at the Newburgh Armory on Thursday.