Power restored to more than 27,000 within the first 24-hours

a.m. update

A field force of 370 electric line and tree clearing personnel, together with a support staff of hundreds, are assessing damage, making repairs and restoring electric service today, following Monday’s severe weather that interrupted power to more than 39,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. The storm caused more than 1.3 million power outages from Texas to Maine on Sunday and Monday, bringing high winds and stormy conditions to the Mid-Hudson Valley region. As of 7:00 a.m. this morning, service has been restored to 27,600 homes and businesses since the start of the storm on Monday morning. Currently, approximately 11,500 customers are without electric service, the majority of which continue to be located in southeastern Dutchess County and Orange County. More than 340 individual damage locations are reported, including 31 broken poles, each to be addressed by repair crews in order to restore electric service.

“Because of the significant number of individual damage locations, we expect that repairs will likely continue to take place throughout today and Wednesday,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “To assist in our restoration efforts, we are working to secure additional electric line workers, however resources are stretched thinly across the multi-state areas impacted by these storms,” he said. “We will continue to use every means to secure additional resources as they become available.

“As a safety reminder, keep at least 30 feet away from downed power lines, and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs,” said Hawthorne. “Assume all downed lines are live, and maintain a wide distance from fallen trees and limbs.” He said under the current pandemic, many families and children are at home and often take to the outdoors or go for walks in their neighborhoods, especially as the weather has turned milder. “Please watch for and keep families and neighbors away from these hazards,” he said. Motorists, too, should continue be aware of the potential for downed limbs and power lines that may block roadways, and should never attempt to drive over or around downed power lines. “We understand the importance of electric service to our customers and their families under these circumstances and remain committed to restoring power as quickly and safely as possible.”

Central Hudson follows CDC guidelines for the safety of the public and utility personnel. “Our electric line crews and support staff are practicing social distancing when addressing emergencies and we are staging crews to avoid clustering of personnel,” said Hawthorne. “We kindly ask that our customers, too, maintain social distancing with one another and our field personnel as they repair storm damage and restore power.”

As electric service is restored, Hawthorne urged customers to keep safety in mind:

• 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.

For the safety of the public and utility personnel, Central Hudson follows CDC guidelines by practicing social distancing when addressing emergencies. The utility kindly ask that residents, too, maintain social distancing with one another and field personnel as storm damage is repaired and power restored.