Central Hudson crews have made significant progress, restoring power to more than 16,000 customers who experienced service interruptions due to Wednesday night’s powerful thunderstorms. As of 4:30 p.m., approximately 5,200 customers were without service, with the majority located in the City of Kingston, Hurley and Marbletown.

“Our crews have worked throughout the day to restore as safely and efficiently as possible, but we know there is still work to be done,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “With the help of mutual aid crews, we expect to have 95 percent of impacted customers restored this evening, and the remaining customers restored on Friday.”  

Central Hudson will distribute dry ice and bottled water to customers on Wednesday evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

• Kingston Plaza – 151 Plaza Rd., Kingston
• Hudson Valley Farm Hub – 1875 Hurley Mountain Rd., Hurley

Ulster County has activated a cooling center at 2nda Iglesia La Mission Church, located at 80 Elmendorf St. in Kingston until 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

“I also want to thank our state, county and local officials who have worked closely with us to help keep our communities safe and assist in our repair efforts,” Hawthorne added.

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.

Hawthorne reminded residents 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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An evening thunderstorm on Wednesday caused significant damage on Johnston Ave. in Kingston, NY.

Crews work to restore service on Route 209 in Hurley, NY Thursday morning after a powerful storm moved through the area.