WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. Photos ByPaula Piekos. March 14, 2010:
AVONDALE ROAD
SMITH AVENUE
SOUNDVIEW
Davis at Bryant
Soundview, Avondale, Smith Ave. Hard Hit. Beware of non-functioning traffic ligh
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. Special to WPCNR. March 14, 2010: WPCNR has pieced together sketchy reports from callers to WPCNR, and has learned that North Street continues to be closed south of Ridgeway and northbound past White Plains High School with Con Edison crews.
Ridgeway is closed at Mamaroneck Avenue. Police are out in force directing traffic what there is at intersections where traffic signals are not functioning.
Observers report Soundview Avenue, Avondale and Smith Avenues in the Highlands were hard hit with giant trees impacting two large homes, one of which was vacant on Smith Avenue. A tree was observed lying atop the hood of a vehicle on Soundview. During the night trees could be heard crashing in the woods along the Greenway as 30 to 50 Mile per hour winds screamed through the city.
Con Edison Calls In Aid from Other States to Repair Massive Power Out
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Con Edison Media Relations. March 14, 2010 8 A.M. EDT: Con Edison crews are working around the clock and against treacherous conditions to address downed wires and road closures as well as to restore power to customers affected by the powerful, slow-moving wind and rain storm that continues to pound the region.
In the storm’s wake: Powersaws were out humming as White Plainsians woke up to downed trees, debris everywhere. The Saturday-Sunday night storm was powerful enough to rip shutters nailed to the sides of homes. Photo by WPCNR>
The company will get mutual aid from utilities in several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, starting today. The company also expects that it will be in a better position to assess and repair damage once the storm conditions become less severe. To date, the strong winds have made it unsafe in many instances for Con Edison workers to go up in bucket trucks, and felled trees have made many roads impassable.
Even with the efforts by Con Edison and the utilities providing mutual aid, the total restoration effort will continue through the week.
About 167,000 customers have been affected by the storm in the Con Edison service area in New York City and Westchester County. Currently, 138,000 are without power. Of that number, 72,000 are in Westchester County, 32,000 on Staten Island, and a total of 34,000 in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The company has restored power to about 29,000 customers in its service territory.
Fierce winds and heavy rain have driven trees into power lines and knocked out electricity. Winds remain strong and further tree damage and outages are possible.
Con Edison has additional customer service representatives, electrical and construction crews, along with tree-clearing crews working around the clock to respond to customers and power outages that may occur.
Customers are urged to call Con Edison immediately to report any outages at 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Customers can also report power interruptions or service problems as well as view service restoration information online at www.conEd.com and on their cell phones and PDAs. When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
In the event of severe outages, primary distribution feeders are restored first, with the highest priority given to lines that supply the most customers out of service. Next, the crews restore secondary facilities, such as transformers and secondary cables, again with highest priority given to lines supplying the most customers out of service. Individual services, lines serving a single home, will be restored as crews become available.
Con Edison offers the following tips to prepare for a storm:
- 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. Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored.
- Check to make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are in working order. Use candles and oil lamps with care. Also, make sure you have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on restorations of electrical service 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 maintaining close contact with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to coordinate storm response as necessary.
20% of County Con Ed Customers OUT as of 8 A.M.! Storm Causes Havoc
WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. March 14, 2010 UPDATED 8:30 A.M. E.D.T.: The storm with no name continues to raise havoc in Westchester County as the number of Con Edison reported outages affecting 70,525 of the 346,452 Con Ed customer base as of 8 A.M.
In White Plains, 6,158 customers are without power with trees blocking driveways…and debris scattered through the streets.
Yonkers is hardest hit with 10,936 reporting no power. Greenburgh reports 8,585 outages, and New Rochelle, 7,399.
Though the powerful winds of the Saturday storm have subsided, the rain has not. Light posts are down, branches and debris are on roads, and bear in mind that the 70,525 customers mean many more thousands in people are affected.
WPCNR has received no word from the county or the City of White Plains on conditions. Only Con Edison is supplying any information through their website. The true extent of the damage the storm continues to inflict will be visible in daylight. Motorists should exercise extreme caution. Tree roots are saturated and subject to uprooting as their moorings are made less firm by the wet earth.