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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS.  From Con Edison. October 30, 2012–issued 1 A.M.  E.D.T.:

More than 650,000 customers in New York City and Westchester County lost electrical power due to Hurricane Sandy, Con Edison said early today.

“This is the largest storm-related outage in our history,” said Con Edison Senior Vice President for Electric Operations John Miksad. The previous record was more than 200,000 customers affected by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Miksad cautioned crews must assess damage prior making to repairs, but early today low-lying areas of New York City and Westchester County remained under water.

Challenges include, for example, more than 200 wires down on Staten Island. In Westchester County, more than 180 roads are closed.

Restoring electrical service to underground equipment demands cleaning all components of sea water, drying and testing to make it safe to restore power.

Here are the latest outages as of 1 a.m.Tuesday:

Manhattan: 193,000 customers
Westchester County: 158,000
Queens: 74,000
Brooklyn: 71,000
Staten Island: 76,000
Bronx: 38,000

Safety for customers and Con Edison employees is the company’s No. 1 priority.

Con Edison restores lines that will return power to the most customers as quickly as possible, and then moves on to restore small groups and individual customers who are still without power.

To report outages, 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 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.

WPCNR WEATHER SCOPE. From Consolidated Edison. October 29, 2012:

As of 9:50 P.M., Consolidated Edison’s Storm Map notes that 65 Outages have been reported in the White Plains city limits area, affecting approximately 12,000 persons.

WPCNR observes that winds on the backside of Hurricane Sandy have kicked in beginning to deliver more punishment to trees that are flailing in the winds, estimated by WPCNR to be close to 50 miles an hour and gusting stronger.

 Con Edison has begun the process of shutting off electrical service to a portion of Lower Manhattan, a move that will protect both company and customer equipment, and allow for quicker restoration after Hurricane Sandy passes.

The company cut service to two areas. The first is bounded by the following streets: Frankfort Street to the north; William Street to the west; Wall Street to the south; and the East River. The second area is bounded by Broadway to the west; Wall Street to the north; and the southern tip of Manhattan.

The areas include about 6,500 customers. Con Edison reported that as of 7 p.m. there were more than 156,000 customers in New York City and Westchester County without electrical service due to Hurricane Sandy.

Sea water from Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge threatened to flood the underground electrical delivery system, prompting the shutdown. The shutdown will help avoid extensive damage to company and customer equipment, and allow company crews to restore power to customers more quickly.

The company will have to wait for flood waters to recede before workers can enter some facilities to assess damage. As equipment is inspected and determined safe to energize, the highest priority for restoration will be given to critical customer facilities that have an impact on the general public such as mass transit, hospitals, police and fire stations, and sewage and water-pumping stations.

Con Edison continues to monitor underground electrical delivery equipment in other areas of Manhattan south of 36th Street, along with section of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, for flooding and possible shutdowns.

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 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.