Nov 2, 2019
Central Hudson Focused On Completing Repairs, Restoring Electric Service
Power restored to 95 percent of affected customers; repair efforts nearing last stages, largely focused on individual streets and homes

Repair crews continue to make progress, as electric service has been restored to 95 percent of the nearly 41,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. impacted by this week’s wind storm. As of 3:30 p.m. today, power has been returned to nearly 39,000 of the nearly 41,000 initially impacted customers. Approximately 2,230 outages are currently reported, most in the hardest hit areas of Ulster County with approximately 1,800 remaining outages and in Dutchess County with approximately 385 remaining outages.

A field force of 420 line and tree workers, including mutual aid crews from Canada, New York and Ohio, together with hundreds of support staff are focused on the labor- and time-intensive phase of restoring electricity to one neighborhood or home at a time.

“We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work to repair damage brought about by this storm,” said Paul E. Haering, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations. “Nearly 200 damage locations remain, however we remain committed in our efforts to restore electric service as safely and promptly as possible.

“We also thank local emergency responders and our municipal, county and elected leadership for their support and assistance in addressing the damage caused by this storm,” said Haering. “We truly value our ongoing working relationships in serving local residents.”

Power restoration is nearly completed in most areas. Restoration times for the hardest-hit counties are as follows, although electric service may be sooner for individual customers:

  • Dutchess County: Saturday, Nov. 2, midnight (95 percent restored)
  • Ulster County: Sunday, Nov. 3, 6:00 p.m.

Central Hudson is distributing dry ice and bottled water today through 5 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Greene County: Town of Catskill, Lowes Home Improvement, #60 Catskill Commons, Route 23A
  • Ulster County: Woodstock Community Center, 56 Rock City Road
  • Ulster County: Rosendale, Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32
  • Dutchess County: Rhinebeck, Tops Supermarket, 6726 Route 9

Haering urged customers to keep safety in mind in the aftermath of severe weather:

  • 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.

To view video updates of the storm restoration, visit the Central Hudson Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ CentralHudson. More information on preparing for storms and emergencies and communicating with Central Hudson is available at www.CentralHudson.com; and for information regarding electric and natural gas safety, visit www.CentralHudson.com/Safety.

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