Central Hudson has restored service to more than 38,000 homes and businesses that were impacted by Sunday evening’s powerful thunderstorms and will look to complete repairs to all customers affected by the storm on Tuesday. As of 8:30 a.m., approximately 1,400 customers were without power with the majority located in the Ulster County municipalities of Wawarsing (434), Esopus (256), Marbletown (179) and Ellenville (133).
“Our field force of 680 line and tree clearance workers made tremendous progress restoring power to customers throughout the day on Monday and into the night,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “We know how important electric service is to our customers and we appreciate their patience as work to make this final push to complete repairs by Tuesday afternoon.”
“I’d also like to thank our state, county and local leaders, along with their teams for their assistance and for keeping our crews and communities safe,” Hawthorne added.
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.
Hawthorne reminded residents to keep safety in mind, particularly during power interruptions:
- 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 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.
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.