Electric service has been restored to more than two-thirds of the 110,000 Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers affected by Friday’s powerful nor’easter that interrupted electricity to more than 2 million households from Maine to Virginia. As of 7 a.m. on Sunday, approximately 33,000 customers remained without electric service, and nearly 1,000 individual damage locations require repair.
High wind gusts and heavy snow toppled trees, resulting in nearly 100 broken poles, approximately 1,000 downed powerlines and serious damage to nine transmission lines. The storm was one of the most severe to hit the Mid-Hudson Valley in the last half century.
It is expected that up to 180 mutual aid forces from the Midwest and other regions will arrive in the region later today to provide ongoing assistance in the electric service restoration efforts. “These forces will supplement the nearly 450 tree trimming, mutual aid and Central Hudson electric line forces currently at work,” said Charles A. Freni, senior vice president of customer services and transmission & distribution operations. “While we continue to make progress, much work remains to be done.”
Freni explained that the most heavily affected areas remain in portions of northern Dutchess, Greene and Ulster counties. Fallen trees throughout much of this area blocked roads and caused extensive damage to the electric system. Service restoration will progress, and it is anticipated that the vast majority of affected customers in these areas will have electric service restored by or before Wednesday afternoon.
In southern Dutchess and Putnam counties, repair work also continues, and service restoration to the vast majority of affected customers is expected by or before Monday afternoon. Power outages in the Orange County region from the storm are nearly all restored.
Join the family! 
