Con Edison PM UPDATE: VAST Majority of Outages to be Restored by November 11

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Consolidated Edison. November 1, 2012, 1 PM:


Con Edison said today that based on an assessment of the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, it expects to restore the vast majority of customers who lost power by the weekend of Nov. 10 and 11.


The remaining customer restorations could take an additional week or more.


About 900,000 customers served by underground and overhead electrical distribution equipment in New York City and Westchester County lost power due to the superstorm that walloped the area.


Con Edison crews have restored power to about 250,000 customers who were affected by the storm. As of 11 a.m., the company was working to restore power to about 650,000 customers still out of service.


Customers served by underground networks in Mid- to Lower Manhattan who lost power during the storm will have service by this Saturday.


Crews restoring service in those underground areas have pumped massive amounts of water out of the facilities. They must also clean all components of the seawater from the equipment. Equipment must be dried, repaired or replaced, and inspected before it can be safely put back into service.


In areas served by overhead electrical distribution equipment, crews have had to contend with more than 100,000 downed wires, as well as blocked roads and flooding.


But Con Edison is marshalling resources from near and far to conduct the largest customer restoration in its history. The company has commitments from more than 1,600 external contractors and mutual aid workers from as far west as California.


Most of these contractor and mutual aid crews have already arrived and the rest are expected to arrive in the next few days. Crews specialize in tree cutting, repairing overhead lines and underground equipment, as well damage assessments.


Customers should use extreme caution before going into a flooded basement. Know whether there are electrified services or unsanitary conditions and wear high rubber boots. Also, know how deep the water is and probe it with a wooden stick, if necessary, to gauge the depth. Keep children out of flooded basements.


Con Edison has assigned 1,000 site safety workers to monitor areas where there may be hazards.

Customers can report downed power lines, outages, and check service restoration status by computer or mobile device at www.conEd.com. They also can call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, it is helpful if customers have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power. Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.


The company is advising its customers to pay close attention to reports from city and municipal officials. Con Edison will continue to provide updates through the media as the storm moves closer. Important information will be posted on the company’s website, www.conEd.com.


For instructions on how to report an outage, click here: http://bcove.me/6sx1yox5


Con Edison offers the following safety tips:



  • Do not go near downed wires. Treat all downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water. Report downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately.
  • If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
  • Weather updates and news on power outages can be heard on most local radio and television stations.

The company is in constant communication with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and company personnel are working closely with city and municipal emergency officials.



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Astorino Again Assures Public Con Ed Resources Are Not Being Diverted Elsewhere

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. Special to WPCNR From the Westchester County Department of Communications. November 1, 2012 4:10 P.M. UPDATED 6:30 P.M. E.D.T.:


Despite suspicions raised by rumor and frustrated officials, Consolidated Edison officials have assured the county, it is not being shortchanged on crews. The Westchester Department of Communications advised WPCNR at 4:10 P.M.:


“County Executive Robert P. Astorino spoke directly today with  Con Edison President Craig Ivey to ensure that the utility is doing everything possible to restore power to its customers in Westchester.


 


He has been assured that Con Ed is NOT diverting resources from our area. 


 


The situation in NYC and that of Westchester are very different and have different kinds of crews. 


 


For NYC, it is people who deal with underground; for Westchester, where most of our lines are above ground, it is of course different. Con Ed is bringing in more crews to Westchester from throughout the nation, as far away as California.


 


Con Ed continues to first focus on public safety.. next is to get schools back on line (about 132 were without power earlier today) and then to get all our polling places on line. 


 


Astorino said Con Edison’s immediate priorities include restoring power to hospitals, schools, nursing homes and municipal water and sewer systems – many operating currently on generators.


            The utility, he said, is also working to ensure there is power at locations being used as polling places in next week’s presidential election.


 


            Con Edison also told Astorino that it had reopened 200 roads that were blocked by trees that took down power lines and has 600 more to do in Westchester. The county also has 132 schools without power that are served Con Edison. The utility’s goal is to get power back to those schools so they can reopen by Monday, local road conditions permitting.


 


 


By the way, the county executive doesn’t have power either. 


 


He understands the frustration that residents and businesses have.   He will, needless to say, stay on top of making sure that Con Ed is indeed doing what it says it is doing. This is however the largest electrical outage every experienced in Westchester.” 


 

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National Guard Distributing 1 Million Meals to LI, Brooklyn, Queens

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From the Governor’s Office. November 1, 2012:


Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the National Guard with FEMA will deliver one million meals and bottled water to New Yorkers in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Delivery to parts of Lower Manhattan, affected areas in Brooklyn and Queens, including the Rockaways will start today.

“After days without powers, the most immediate need for many New Yorkers is food and water and the state is working aggressively to address this need.” said Governor Cuomo. “The first plane into JFK this morning was from FEMA, carrying supplies and personnel we requested. New York state will continue to deploy all our resources in response to Hurricane Sandy and adjust to the needs and concerns of New Yorkers so that we can ensure a safe and speedy recovery.”

FEMA and the National Guard will work with the city and major not-for-profit organizations to establish points of distribution and set up staging stations throughout the most affected areas.


National Guardsman will assist with the delivery of approximately 30 tractor-trailers of the food and water, by going door-to-door to New Yorkers who have been without power and electricity since Hurricane Sandy hit the state. The National Guardsmen and FEMA officials will also check the wellness and needs of individuals in these areas to ensure that residents are safe.

The New York State Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and the national guard, along with city and not-for-profit partners, worked through the night to transport the meals in to the region so they could be staged to be delivered throughout the region.

The Governor will visit a distribution site in Manhattan later this afternoon.

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Con Edison Morning Update: 225,000 Restored

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Consolidated Edison. November 1, 2012:


Con Edison crews – working around the clock – have restored electricity to more than 225,000 customers since Hurricane Sandy’s departure.


The hurricane is the worst natural disaster to strike Con Edison’s customers.


Safety for customers, Con Edison employees, and contractors is the No. 1 priority. Crews still face hundreds of wires down in New York City and Westchester County, where more than 600 roads are closed. Trees also block access to wires and equipment throughout the system and hundreds of vaults are flooded.


The company expects to make significant progress restoring electricity over the next two days due to Wednesday’s damage assessment and field work planning. Additional crews from around the country continue arriving from as far away as California to assist New Yorkers. Cargo planes are unloading their equipment and will be assigned throughout the area.


Con Edison restored power on Wednesday to customers served by two underground electrical networks that were taken out of service Monday night as the floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy were surging.


One network is in lower Manhattan and serves 2,000 customers. The customers are in an area bordered by Vesey Street on the north; West Street; Broadway and State Street on the east; and the Battery’s southern tip.


The second area is Con Edison’s Brighton Beach network, serving about 28,200 customers and includes Coney Island, Seagate, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Sheepshead Bay.


The utility noted that although it has restored power to the networks, some buildings may still be without electricity due to basement flooding or damage to local equipment.


As of 4:30 a.m. today, Con Edison reported approximately 676,000 customers out of service. That included 227,000 in Manhattan, 103,000 in Queens, 59,000 in Brooklyn, 83,000 in Staten Island and 36,000 in the Bronx. In Westchester County, the company reported 166,000 customers out of service.


Customers can report downed power lines, outages, and check service restoration status by computer or mobile device at www.conEd.com. They also can call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, it is helpful if customers have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power. Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.


The company is advising its customers to pay close attention to reports from city and municipal officials. Con Edison will continue to provide updates through the media as the storm moves closer. Important information will be posted on the company’s website, www.conEd.com.


For instructions on how to report an outage, click here: http://bcove.me/6sx1yox5


Con Edison offers the following safety tips:



  • Use extreme caution before going into a flooded basement. Know whether there are electrified services or unsanitary conditions and wear high rubber boots. Also, know how deep the water is and probe it with a wooden stick, if necessary, to gauge the depth. Keep children out of basements where there is water.
  • If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Treat all downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water.
  • Report all downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
  • If you still have power, charge your cell phones, lap tops and other mobile devices, so that they’ll work if you do lose power.
  • If your power goes out, turn off all lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored.
  • Check to make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios are working. Also, make sure you have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on power outages can be heard on most local radio and television stations.
  • Avoid opening your freezer to see if food is still frozen. Every time you open the door, room-temperature air enters and speeds the thawing process. Most fully loaded freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 36 to 48 hours; half-full freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours.

The company is in constant communication with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and company personnel are working closely with city and municipal emergency officials.



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