With the arrival of mutual aid from throughout New York State and Ohio, a field force of more than 470 electric line and tree clearing personnel, together with a support staff of hundreds, worked to repair damage to the electric system and restore service following Monday’s storms. In total and including overnight outages, power was interrupted to more than 46,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. As of 6:00 p.m. this evening, service has been restored to nearly 45,000 homes and businesses since the start of the storm.

Currently, approximately 1,300 customers are without electric service, the majority of which continue to be located in southeastern Dutchess County and Orange County. Nearly 120 individual damage locations remain and are being addressed by repair crews. Electric service for most of these customers will be restored by tonight, and those customers remaining without power in Dutchess, Orange and Putnam counties overnight are expected to be restored by noon on Wednesday. For specific estimated restoration times, please visit Central Hudson’s online outage map at www.CentralHudson.com.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we work to repair and restore electric service throughout the area,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “Electricity is an essential and fundemental service, particularly during these challenging times, and we fully understand the importance of safe and efficient power restorations on behalf our customers. We also thank the emergency responders and our municipal, county and state leaders for their assistance and support, and for working with us hand-in-hand in serving the residents of our communities.”

Dry ice is available at the following locations from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight. In following CDC guidelines and to maintain social distancing, customers are requested to drive-up only, and remain in their vehicles. Utility personnel will provide instructions on how to accept the dry ice packages:

• Home Depot – 3470 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
• John Jay High School – 2012 NY-52, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
• Vails Gate Fire Company – 872 Blooming Grove Turnpike, New Windsor, NY 12553

Dry ice will again be available at the John Jay High School location in Hopewell Junction only (East Fishkill) on Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Hawthorne stressed the need for continued safety and vigilance in addressing the remaining storm damage. “As a safety reminder, please continue to keep at least 30 feet away from downed power lines, and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs,” said Hawthorne. “Assume all downed lines are live, and maintain a wide distance from fallen trees and limbs.” He said Central Hudson also follows CDC guidelines for the safety of the public and utility personnel by practicing social distancing when addressing emergencies. “We kindly ask that our customers, too, maintain social distancing with one another and our field personnel as they repair storm damage and restore power.”

As electric service is restored, Hawthorne urged customers to keep safety in mind:

• Stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines, and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees. Assume all downed lines are live;
• 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 or 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: 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. Free Central Hudson mobile applications for Android and Apple and are also available by logging onto CentralHudson.com/mobileapp;
• Through social media:  “Like” Central Hudson on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CentralHudson) and “Follow” on Twitter (www.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. 

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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Below: Central Hudson crews repair storm damage on Tues., April 14 on Titusville Road in the Town of Lagrange (below) and Daley Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie (bottom). Electric service is expected to be restored to nearly all residents tonight, and remaining outages are expected to be restored by noon on Wed., April 15.