08/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/08/2024 13:53
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation is readying crews and advising customers to prepare for potentially severe weather that is expected to move through the region starting on Friday, Aug. 9 and into Saturday, Aug. 10. As Tropical Storm Debby makes way to the Hudson Valley, conditions could cause trees and tree limbs to fall onto power lines and lead to electric service interruptions.
"We are closely monitoring the weather system that will be moving into the area on Friday and we will be prepared to respond if outages do occur," said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. "In order to help us restore any outages as safely and quickly as possible, we have secured additional line workers from New York and New Jersey. With this support, Central Hudson has a field force of nearly 400 to respond to the conditions."
In addition, customer service and companywide personnel will be prepared for storm response.
The 1-4" rain in the forecast, coupled with sodden soil have the potential to cause significant flash flooding in some areas.
Heavy flooding may undermine natural gas lines and customers are urged to report gas odors they may detect by doing the following:
Central Hudson prepares for storms by preparing crews, stocking supplies and materials, communicating with community leaders and following an approved storm plan. Central Hudson also takes proactive steps before storms strike to minimize service interruptions, including enhanced vegetation management and danger tree removals, and regular maintenance and upgrades to power lines serving communities.
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:
Customers can stay informed of storm and restoration conditions in the following ways:
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.