Repair crews from Central Hudson Gas & Electric are continuing to restore electrical service to customers impacted by the heavy rains and damaging winds associated with Tropical Storm Isaias. With nearly 115,000 homes and businesses across the service area experiencing power interruptions on Tuesday, Isaias is the fourth-most severe storm in Central Hudson’s history.

As of 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Central Hudson has restored power to more than half the customers impacted by the storm. More than 1,100 damage locations remain, and approximately 57,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity, the majority of which are in southern Dutchess County and Orange County:

• Dutchess County: 25,000
• Orange County: 22,000
• Putnam County: 3,300
• Ulster County: 6,400

“More than 570 line workers and tree personnel, including mutual aid crews, together with hundreds of additional employees working in support roles, are restoring electric service to our customers as safely and quickly as possible,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. He said that as a result of fallen trees and limbs, more than 66 broken poles and 1,600 cases of downed lines have been reported. “About 150 additional mutual aid personnel are arriving tonight and tomorrow and we expect electric service will be restored to 90 percent of our customers by 11:30 p.m. on Friday, August 7. We appreciate our customers’ patience as our crews work to the repair damage brought by this storm.”

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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Line workers install a new utility pole in Hopewell on Wednesday. Central Hudson is reporting 66 downed poles as of Wednesday evening.

Central Hudson Crews work to replace a utility pole in Hopewell Junction on Wednesday morning.