08/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/09/2024 16:55
6:45 p.m.
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. is working to make repairs after the remnants of Hurricane Debby brought damaging winds, rain and flooding to the Hudson Valley area on Friday, interrupting electric service to more than 19,000 customers. The majority of outages are located in Dutchess (approximately 5,600 customers impacted) and Greene (approximately 7,600 customers impacted) Counties.
"Our field force of more than 400 line and line clearance workers are making repairs as safely and efficiently as possible during Friday's severe weather," said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations. "With more than 280 individual outage locations to address, we expect restoration efforts to continue throughout the day Saturday, while the most heavily impacted areas may extend into early Sunday."
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch through 10 p.m. in our service territory as some of the thunderstorms bring along strong wind gusts potentially up to 65 mph from the eastern direction. Visit hudsonvalleyweather.com for the latest forecast information.
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.