More than 700 electric line and tree clearing professionals continued to clear roads and restore electric service today in the wake of Winter Storm Landon that so far interrupted electric service to more than 64,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. To date, power has been restored to nearly 28,000 homes and businesses since Friday morning, primarily in hard-hit Ulster County. As of 4:30 p.m. today, nearly 700 individual damage locations remain. Outages by county are as follows:

• Dutchess County:       66
• Greene County:          22
• Orange County:          350
• Sullivan:                      160
• Ulster County:            35,770

“The destruction caused by this storm is severe and extensive,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “Our assessment teams and repair crews are discovering additional cases of damage as they work though impacted areas. We have a large contingent of line and tree professionals working to restore electric service, however some of the individual repairs may take a full day or more to address. Despite these challenges, we expect to make progress today and tonight.”

Nearly 500 line and more than 200 tree professionals were at work today, with additional mutual aid crews arriving tonight for a total of nearly 890 to assist in restoration efforts on Sunday and Monday. Field crews have so far reported 44 broken poles and more than 900 cases of downed lines. Central Hudson has deployed wire guards to warn motorists and pedestrians to stay clear of these areas. In addition, representatives are making door-to-door visits with customers dependent on electrically operated life support equipment to ensure their well-being. 

Central Hudson expects power to be restored to 95 percent of impacted customers in Sullivan County by 10 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6 and in Ulster County by noon on Monday, Feb. 7, while the majority will see power restored sooner. More refined estimated restoration times will be posted as available.

Dry ice and bottled water distribution will resume tonight, Saturday, Feb. 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

• Rosendale Recreation Center - 1055 Route 32, Rosendale
• Woodstock Community Center - 56 Rock City Road, Woodstock

Central Hudson plans to continue distributions on Sunday, the times and locations to be determined according to need. Alternatively, in the winter perishable foods can be preserved by being placed in coolers, and the cooler placed outdoors in a protected and secure location.

Residents are advised to be aware of the large number of utility crews working along roadways, and to use caution when approaching work zones. Weather forecasts call for falling temperatures with frigid conditions overnight and residents are reminded to check in on vulnerable family members and neighbors. As ice remains on trees, be aware of the continued potential for falling branches. Also, cold temperatures can pose a risk to plumbing and residents may wish to consider opening faucets and allowing them to drip.

Ulster County has announced warming centers for those in need at the following locations:

Ulster County Warming Center Locations 

Kingston 

Andy Murphy Center 

467 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401

2nda Iglesia La Mision Church 

80 Elmendorf St, Kingston NY 12401

New Paltz

SUNY New Paltz Elting Gymnasium 

1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561 

Saugerties 

Frank D. Greco Memorial Senior Citizen Recreation Center 

207 Market St, Saugerties, NY 12477

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

• 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.
• Never use kitchen stoves or 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.

Customer should avoid cold weather hazards by:

• Exercising care when using space heaters by keeping them away from flammable materials such as paper or curtains, placing them out of areas of foot traffic, and shutting them off when not in use;
• Clearing ice that has the potential to fall, particularly near doorways and around utility meters, and keeping meters free of snow by lightly brushing them with a broom;
• Keeping chimneys and flues clear of ice, snow and other obstructions to prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home; and
• Exercise caution when outdoors or avoid spending time outside when possible.

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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Central Hudson provided dry ice and bottled water to customers at three locations on Saturday, Feb. 5 in the Towns of Ulster, Woodstock and Rosendale.

Central Hudson crews repair storm damage along Chestnut Hill Road in the Town of Woodstock on Sat., Feb. 5, 2022. More than 530 line and nearly 200 tree professionals were at work today, with an additional 160 mutual aid crews arriving to assist restoration efforts on Sunday.

Central Hudson crews repair storm damage along Route 375 in the Town of Woodstock on Sat., Feb. 5, 2022.