Mar 2, 2021
Central Hudson Restores Power to More Than 90% of Impacted Customers

Crews from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. made significant progress on Tuesday, restoring power to more than 90% of homes and businesses impacted by Monday night’s wind storm. As of 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, approximately 2,500 customers are without power, the majority of which are located in Ulster County (1,809).

Monday’s powerful wind storm toppled trees and tree limbs onto power lines, interrupting service to more than 33,000 customers across the service area at more than 450 individual damage locations, including 354 downed wires and 20 broken utility poles. Central Hudson expects power to be restored to 95 percent or more of impacted customers in these areas by the following dates and times, with any remaining outages resolved by Wednesday night:

  • Albany County – More than 95% restored at this time
  • Columbia County – More than 95% restored at this time
  • Dutchess County – More than 95% restored at this time
  • Greene County – March 2, at 10:00 p.m.
  • Orange County – More than 95% restored at this time
  • Putnam County – 100% complete
  • Sullivan County –March 3, at 4:00 p.m.
  • Ulster County – March 3, at 4:00 p.m.

“We know how essential electricity is to our customers, especially during these challenging times, and our team of 395 line and tree professionals, including contractors and mutual aid assistance will continue to work around the clock until every customer is restored,” said Ryan Hawthorne, 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.

Residents are reminded to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs. Residents should also assume all downed lines are live.

Customers who have a member of their household that requires electricity to operate life sustaining equipment, should contact customer service at (845) 452-2700.

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 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.

Ohayo Mountain Road Woodstock

Central Hudson crews work to repair damage on Ohayo Mountain Road in Woodstock following Monday night’s powerful wind storm.