One House at a Time. 2 Hours to Restore One Home.

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. October 31, 2012:


‘


9:30 A.M. TUESDAY– DPW STYMIED BY DOWNED WIRE


The White Plains DPW crew and rolling stock of chipper,power backhoe and debris truck arrived to unblock the city side street where two tree trunks were blocking the road and a driveway at approximately 9:30 A.M. yesterday. As they were approaching with power saws, a neighbor saw that one of the limbs was lying across a powerline. The crew had not realized it. Their crew chief phoned in the report of the downed line that was still connected to the home it was leading to.



4:30 P.M. — CON ED IN BLUE, DPW IN YELLOW COMBINE TO START THE CLEARING/POWER-UP


A Con Edison crew arrived at 4:30 P.M. to cut the wire enabling the city DPW crew to begin clearing the limbs from the road, while the Con Edison crew waited to restore the cut power to the house after the clean-up of the storm debris. Two hours later at 6:30 P.M. the line was reconnected to the house. It took Con Edison’s crew about a half an hour to forty-five minutes after the DPW crew had cleared the driveway and roadway to enable Con Ed to access the home’s power connection to repower the home. The time–approximately two hours.



INTO THE JUNGLE, 4:30 P.M. CHAINMAN CUTS INTO THE LIMBS



BACKHOEMAN TAKES A BITE OUT OF DISASTER-ONE BITE AT A TIME.



DUMPS LIMBS ON ROADSIDE.



FINISHING CLEARING 5:40 P.M.



CONED TEAM MOVES IN TO MAKE THE CONNECTION (45 MINUTE PROCESS) IN GATHERING DUSK.



BRINGING IN JUICE. WIRE MAY BE SEEN JUST BELOW WHITE EXTENSION OF BUCKET ARM, AS CON ED TECHNICIAN MAKES THE HOOKUP


This scene is being reenacted house by house, neighborhood to neighborhood and it is perhaps indicative of the logistic problems encountered with each neighborhood. The Con Edison crew has to be called in to cut electricity enabling the tree-clearing. Depending on how extensive the tree debris is, and how far the line is in to the house, it can take as it did here two hours to restore one home.


As of Wednesday morning at 9:30 A.M., 10,881 White Plains customers were without power out of 23,854 Con Edison customers in the city.


In New York City, 585,099 customers were powerless out of approximately 3 Million customers according to the Con Edison Summary.


Con Edison is warning Trick-or-Treaters to beware of downed wires and to wear bright clothing because of piled tree debris on the sides of roads, and the possibility of downed wires that have not been discovered yet.

Posted in Uncategorized

Con Ed Predicts: Brooklyn Manhattan Power Up in 4 Days. Others-7 Days

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Consolidated Edision. October 30, 2012:


Con Edison is assessing damage and restoring service after Hurricane Sandy toppled trees and flooded underground equipment in the most devastating storm in company history.


The company estimates that customers in Brooklyn and Manhattan served by underground electric equipment should have power back within four days. Restoration to all customers in other areas served by overhead power lines will take at least a week.


(Editor’s Note: A resident of Greenridge Avenue, when he was reporting his electric outage said that Con Edison told him 7 to 10 days to restore White Plains.)


As of 11 a.m., the company reported approximately 780,000 customers without electrical service. That included about 250,000 customers in Manhattan, 180,000 in Westchester County, 108,000 in Queens, 109,000 in Staten Island, 87,000 in Brooklyn, and 45,000 in the Bronx.

The outages were roughly split between the company’s underground and overhead systems. The company has already restored power to approximately 140,000 of the 930,000 customers impacted at some point by the storm.


In overhead areas, many roads are blocked by fallen trees or flooded. Restoring electrical service to underground equipment demands cleaning all components of sea water, drying and testing to make it safe to restore power.


The previous record number of storm outages in Con Edison territory occurred last year, when Hurricane Irene caused about 203,000 customers to lose service.


In addition to the 250,000 electric customers without electricity in Manhattan, every steam customer south of 42nd Street lost service. In some cases, Con Edison disconnected steam customers to protect the system from flooding conditions. The restoration times of those customers is still being evaluated.


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:



  • 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.




Posted in Uncategorized

Siding Ripped Off 221 Main Street Tower. Roof Matting Blown off Library

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. Special to WPCNR from Don Hughes. October 30, 2012:


Don Hughes advises WPCNR that siding and insulation, ripped by the winds of Hurricane Sandy off the top of the 221 Main Street tower, as reported by the Mayor’s Office, is littering Main Street and Renaissance Plaza as of early after. The city has taped off Main and Hamilton and there is traffic back-up.


Huges also reports that roof matting stored on the roof of the White Plains Library has been blown into the courtyards below the library.


Mr. Hughes’ photograph below shows how  the pinnacle of 5 Renaissance Plaza has been damaged. (View is from the East.)



 


 

Posted in Uncategorized

City Issues Post Storm Advisory

 


WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From the Mayor’s Office. October 30,2012:


 


DUE TO CONTINUED HAZARDS, ALL RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY OFF THE ROADS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING.


 


City of White Plains government offices are open for business today.


 


Garbage is being collected. The Sanitation Department is collecting as per the normal pick up schedule. However, given the number of downed trees and wires some streets may be inaccessible to the sanitation trucks. Every effort will be made to collect garbage and recyclables according to the normal schedule and to reach all residents.


 


Numerous streets across the City are blocked because of fallen trees and tree limbs. The Department of Public Works has moved 150 – 200 downed trees of various sizes to the road side. Clearing of those trees will begin today.  To report a downed tree or tree limb that is blocking the street, call 422-1202.


 


Downed trees with wires cannot be moved until Con Edison has given the City the OK. Residents are advised to stay away from fallen wires and to treat all downed wire as live until informed otherwise. Te report a downed electrical wire, call the Department of Public Safety at 422-6111.


 


Trees that fall onto private property cannot be removed by the City of White Plains. Homeowners should contact their insurance company and arrange for a tree removal service.


 


Please report power outages and check service restoration status with Con Edison by calling 1-800-75-CONED or www.coned.com.


 


The City of White Plains has opened a shelter for White Plains residents at Post Road Elementary School, located at 175 West Post Road. Please enter the school from the Soundview Avenue entrance.


City residents may park vehicles in two City garages without charge overnight until Wednesday morning, October 31 at 8:00 AM in either the Hamilton-Main or Chester-Maple Garages. All other garages, parking lots and on-street parking will be under normal enforcement rules.


City of White Plains STORM HOTLINE information 422-5150; Spanish speaking 422-5160.

Posted in Uncategorized