Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. has restored power to more than 48,000 customers who were impacted by a powerful nor’easter that brought heavy snow and wind gusts to the area. As of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, approximately 1.400 customers are without service with the vast majority of remaining outages located in Dutchess County (1,136).

“Our crews continue to make strong progress in restoring power to customers who were left without service due to the recent winter storm,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “Lingering wind gusts have created additional outages, so there is still work to be done, with more than 90 individual damage locations remaining. We will work through the night to restore service to as many customers as possible.

“Due to the extensive damage in portions of Dutchess and Columbia counties, restoration efforts will extend into Thursday, however we now expect to have the vast majority of these customers restored by the afternoon,” Hawthorne added.

Central Hudson expects to have power restored to 95 percent of impacted customers by:

• Albany County          –             Wednesday, March 15 at 10 p.m.
• Putnam County         –             Wednesday, March 15 at 10 p.m.
• Columbia County     –             Thursday, March 16 at 2 p.m.
• Dutchess County       –             Thursday, March 16 at 2 p.m.
• Greene County          –         95% of customers restored
• Ulster County            –          95% of customers restored
• Sullivan County        –          95% of customers restored
• Orange County         –          95% of customers restored

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 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 www.CentralHudson.com/Storms to report outages and obtain restoration updates;
• Mobile App: A free Central Hudson mobile application is available for Android and Apple devices at www.CentralHudson.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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Crews work to repair a damaged pole in Greenville, NY.