One of the largest repair forces assembled by Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., nearly 730 electric line and tree clearing personnel together with a support staff of hundreds, made significant progress today restoring electric service in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias. In total power was interrupted on Tuesday to nearly 117,000 of the homes and businesses served by the utility, and as of 6:00 p.m. this evening, service has been restored to more than 112,000 since the start of the storm.

Currently, approximately 3,600 homes and businesses are without electric service, the majority of which continue to be located in southeastern Dutchess County and Orange County. Nearly 330 individual damage locations remain and are being addressed by repair crews. Electric service for most of these customers will be restored by tonight, and service to remaining residents is expected on Saturday. For specific estimated restoration times, 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,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. “We fully understand the necessity of electric service and 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 continued support, and for working with us hand-in-hand in clearing roads, repairing storm damage and serving the residents of our communities.”

Regular ice (not dry ice) and water will be available at East Fishkill Town Hall located at 330 Route 376 in Hopewell Junction starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 8.  

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 New York State and 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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Central Hudson employees deliver meals to crews out in the field following Tropical Storm Isaias.

Central Hudson crews continue to repair downed wires and damaged utility poles in Wappingers Falls on Friday following Tropical Storm Isaias.