Jul 8, 2021
Central Hudson Focused on Completing Repairs, Restoring Electric Service

Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. remains focused on restoring power to customers impacted by a series of powerful storms that began moving through the service area on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to continue through Thursday night. More than 52,000 service interruptions have been reported since the volatile weather pattern began on Tuesday with approximately 1,000 customers without power as of 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

“I’m pleased with the progress our crews have made in restoring power to our customers during this multi-day weather event,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “We know there is still work to be done. We continue to operate with a field force of more than 415 line and tree workers along with hundreds of employees working in support roles to assist them. Our crews will continue working until the last customer is restored.”

Storms began impacting Central Hudson’s service area on Tuesday afternoon and evening when 70 mile per hour winds, large hail and frequent lightning strikes interrupted service to thousands of customers in southern Ulster, central Dutchess and Orange counties. While restoration efforts were ongoing in those areas, a second severe storm cell moved through portions of Greene and Albany counties on Wednesday afternoon causing trees to fall and bringing powerlines down with them. A state of emergency was declared in the Village of Coxsackie as a result of those storms. Additional waves of strong thunderstorms have interrupted service to homes and businesses throughout the service area Wednesday night and Thursday as well.

“We expect to have existing restoration efforts complete in Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Columbia and Albany counties by this evening. The majority of Ulster County should be restored by Thursday night as well with the more heavily impacted areas completed by mid-day Friday,” Hawthorne added. “The weather pattern remains unsettled and the potential for additional thunderstorms on Thursday evening could slow restoration work and create additional outages.”

Central Hudson has procured an additional allotment of dry ice that will be distributed along with bottled water on Friday, if needed. Times and locations of this distribution will be announced once they are available, please check our social media pages for the most up to date information.

Residents are advised to exercise an abundance of caution around downed power lines by staying at least 30 feet away, and remember that downed lines can become entangled and hidden in fallen limbs. Residents should also remember to assume any downed power lines are live.

Customers are advised to keep safety in mind, particularly during power interruptions:

  • 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 when 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.
  • Visit hudsonvalleyweather.com for the latest forecast information.

 

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. Updated free Central Hudson mobile applications are available for Android and Apple devices by logging onto www.cenhud.com/mobileapp;
  • Through social media: “Like” Central Hudson on Facebook (Facebook.com/CentralHudson) and “Follow” on Twitter (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.
  • If a member of your household needs electricity to operate life sustaining equipment, please contact customer service at (845) 452-2700.

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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nr_mutualaid_070821.jpgMutual aid crews arrive in Kingston on Thursday to assist in restoration efforts throughout the Central Hudson service area.