Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. crews have restored power to more than 30,000 customers impacted by the severe thunderstorms that caused damage throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley and knocked out power to more than 36,000 customers on Wednesday night. As of 5:30 p.m., approximately 5,300 customers were without power with the majority of outages in Dutchess and Orange Counties.
- Dutchess County: 2,787 Customers affected
- Orange County: 1,888 Customers affected
- Ulster County: 664 Customers affected
“Crews made significant progress on Thursday, but with approximately 200 individual outage locations remaining, there is still work to be done” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “With the help of mutual assistance crews, we have been able to grow our field force to more than 600 line and line clearance workers. We expect to have the vast majority of customers restored by 10 p.m. on Friday with some of the most heavily damaged areas potentially lingering into Saturday morning.”
Central Hudson expects to have 95 percent of customers restored by the following times:
- Dutchess County: 10 p.m. on Friday, June 28
- Orange County: 10 p.m. on Friday, June 28
- Ulster County: 2 p.m. on Friday, June 28
Central Hudson will also continue to distribute dry ice and bottled water while supplies last at the following locations:
- Home Depot - 450 Route 9, Fishkill (Dutchess Mall)
- Home Depot - 3470 North Road, Poughkeepsie (Near Marist)
- Dan Leghorn Fire House - 426 S Plank Road, Newburgh
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;
- Avoiding opening a refrigerator unnecessarily during outages, so that food lasts longer, an unopened refrigerator can keep food fresh for up to 4 hours;
- 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.
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: 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 X (formerly known as 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.
Crews work to repair damage caused by Wednesday night’s severe thunderstorms.