WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. March 7, 2018, 2:35 PM UPDATED  4:05 PM  with link to Phone Call Actuality:

After a conference call  (shown above), with Westchester municipal leaders, legislators, a  furious Westchester County Executive George Latimer this afternoon has written politicians, leaders, and public officials to invite them to a Rally in Westchester County Center to demand NYSEG and Con Edison Presidents resign and their management be replaced.

To hear and see, the County Executive’s message to county officials on this conference call go to this link: the message last 1:01 but to the point (copy this link and put it in your browse and hit “GO” and fasten your seatbelt:

https://www.facebook.com/westchestergov/videos/10156041257002092/

The reason Mr. Latimer gives the way Con Ed and NYSEG have managed and communicated and planned the recovery from the  Westchester Power Crisis over the  the last 5 days that still leaves 9,911 Westchester Customers without power.

The outages were caused by “Tropical Storm Riley”last Friday. The top windgusts in that “Tropical Storm” were measured 1 mile shy (72 MPH) of being a Category 1 hurricane, as measured by Westchester County Airport.

Here is the copy of the County Executive’s letter released at 2:35 this afternoon:

Dear New York State Delegation, Municipal Officials and Westchester County Board of Legislators,

In light of the inadequate and troubled response by ConEdison and NYSEG to restore tens of thousands of Westchester Customers after Winter Storm Reilly, I invite you to join me to call for the Presidents of both companies to step down. 

Both ConEdison and NYSEG have fumbled the recovering effort and we as County residents can no longer stand by and accept this.

  Along with both Presidents stepping down, I would also like a clean sweep of senior management, and I want a new philosophy adopted. 

I listened to enough, and we have put up with enough. We are all tired of ConEdison and NYSEG’s excuses.  There are human beings out there – and we are given statistics instead of real world services.

Please join me on Friday, March 9, 2018 at 10:30a.m. at the Westchester County Center in White Plains for a statement of solidarity.

Thank you,

George Latimer

Westchester County Executive

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County Executive George Latimer arriving for his Media Briefing on the Westchester power crisis this morning.

WPCNR THE POWER STORY. By John F. Bailey. March 7, 2018:

County Executive George Latimer said Con Ed reports the number of Westchester Customers (defined as customers with one electric meter) without power is  9,911 as of 9:30 A.M. this morning. He also said NYSEG the other supplier to the northeast of the county had cut their Customers without power to 1,516, from approximately 15,000 Monday afternoon.

You can see the morning briefing at this link: Paste it in your browser and hit “Go”:

https://www.facebook.com/westchestergov/videos/10156040795932092/

As of 11 A.M. the Con Edison official listing town by town at their Con Storm Center that updates every 15 minutes continues to show Westchester Outages of 18,913.

Mr. Latimer said he would be attempting to very the new impressive restorations overnight with Con Ed and NYSEG officials at the Emergency Operations Center in Hawthorne later this morning.

WPCNR called the Con Edison Media Center to ask if there was a lag between when restored Westchester Customers were added (reported every 15 minutes).

The press person after hearing my question asked me to put that question in an email and send it to another party who would answer my question.

So at this point apparently the listing appearing last night at 10 PM…apparently has not been changed.

Latimer told WPCNR at the close of his briefing today that when he went to bed at 2:15 A.M., the Con Edison listing (which they introduced Monday), was showing 19,000 customers out, and he was amazed that the number this morning had been reduced 50%.

That is not unreasonable. If Con Ed crews worked all night (and they might have), the County Executive said he had seen crews when he was out after midnight, but he could not say for sure whether Con Ed crews had worked all night.

Yesterday Con Ed crews reduced Westchester Customers from 27,000 Out of Power to approximately 18,000 in 8 hours, a rate of 1,000 restorations an hour. So if the crews worked the night as the Con Ed person told WPCNR they would if weather permitted, they could restore 9,000 by 9:30 A.M.

We await clarification from the Con Ed press office.

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WPCNR THE POWER STORY. From Con Edison. March 6,  10:15 PM.:

The 10 PM Tuesday Night Con Edison Westchester Power Outage comprehensive report announces that the number of Westchester Customers (a customer is one power meter) without power has dropped below the 20,000 mark, restoring  5,613 to power in the last five hours.

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY MORNING’S NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVERNIGHT WHEN CREWS RESTORED AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 WESTCHESTER CUSTOMERS OVER NIGHT.

A Con Edison spokesperson speaking with WPCNR at 10:15 PM, reports 1,800 workers  are deployed throughout the county will continue to work to restore power throughout the night until weather conditions or strong winds become too dangerous to continue operations.

She said the 1,800 workers include  500 workers from out of state mutual aid crews from Canada, Texas and Wisconsin.

HERE ARE THE AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER:

Cortlandt has the highest Customers out, 1,994; Yorktown Town, 1,721; next, Mount Pleasant, 1,508′  Mamaroneck, 1,473; North Castle next at  1,371; New Castle,1,170;  Peekskill, 750;  Yonkers, 717; Scarsdale, 692; Harrison, 664; Greenburgh Town, 516; Briarcliff Manor,416; Croton-on Hudson, 293; Larchmont, 274; Rye City, 228; Pleasantville, 246; Pelham, 248; White Plains has 421 Customers out, cut in half since 5 PM

Here are the good numbers

mbers rolling in at 10 PM

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. March 6, 2018:

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Westchester County Executive George Latimer shared important health and safety advice today to help residents manage the aftermath of the Friday Nor’easter and prepare for the next storm expected to bring snow Tuesday night through Wednesday.

County Executive George Latimer said: “Residents in Westchester have been severely let down by their power companies in the wake of Winter Storm Riley, and with another storm expected to hit Westchester tonight, it is important to exercise caution and heed the advice from our Health Department in an effort to keep you and your loved ones safe and secure.”

For those who remain without power, check with your municipality for the location and hours of shelters and warming centers or visit the County’s Twitter or Facebook pages.   The County has also made the County Center available for residents for warmth, coffee and entertainment.

Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD added: “Low temperatures can be life-threatening, especially for seniors, infants and people who are at increased risk for hypothermia. Dress warmly in layers, and if a safe temperature cannot be maintained in your home, make temporary arrangements to stay elsewhere.”

More tips on storm safety are available at www.westchestergov.com/health and below:

Safe Generator and Alternate Heating Source Use

Strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid a deadly indoor buildup of carbon monoxide and only use heating and cooking appliances inside your home that are designed for indoor use.  Never use a natural gas, propane camp stove, barbecue or gas range to heat your home.

Never use a generator indoors or in partly enclosed areas such as garages, basements, porches, crawlspaces, sheds, carports or breezeways. Generators should only be operated outside, downwind and away from open windows.

Early warning signs of CO² poisoning are nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, sleepiness and dizziness.

• Never place a space heater within three feet of drapes, furniture or bedding, on top of furniture or near water, and never cover your space heater.
• Never leave children or pets unattended near a space heater, fireplace or wood burning stove.

Chain saw safety

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Wear safety goggles and protective clothing. Be sure bystanders are a safe distance away.
• Avoid contact with power lines.
• Take extra care in cutting trees or branches that are bent or caught under something else.
• Use extreme caution to avoid electrical shock when using an electric chain saw.

Food Safety When You Lose Power

• During a prolonged power outage, food is potentially hazardous if not stored below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Check your refrigerator thermometer before eating food from it after an outage. Examples of foods that  should be discarded if not properly chilled are meat, poultry, seafood, cold cuts, hot dogs, eggs, and dairy products. When in doubt, throw it out.

Before the next storm arrives:

• Stock up on essentials such as bread, milk, diapers, batteries for flash lights and needed medications.
• Keep flashlights and battery-powered radios where you can easily find them.

• Keep cell phones and other important electronic devices fully charged.
• Turn the freezer and refrigerator to the highest setting. This will preserve food longer if power goes out.
• Assemble a three-day supply of water and non-perishable foods, extra clothing and blankets. Have a go-bag ready in case you must leave your home.

During the storm:

• Stay off the roads.
• Never walk or drive close to snow plows; the driver may not see you.
• Never go near, or drive over, downed power lines.

If the power goes out:

• Call your local utility company to inform it of the power outage. Con Edison’s 24-hour hotline is 1-800-75-CONED (752-6633) and NYSEG’s hotline service is 1-800-572-1131.
• Leave a light on to let you know when power has been restored.
• Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns. Candles are a fire hazard.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

After the storm:

• Dress warmly in windproof clothing to prevent frostbite and hypothermia.
• Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing to trap body heat. Remember gloves, scarves and a hat that covers the ears
• Senior citizens, people with asthma, heart or chronic lung disease should not shovel. Others should shovel snow in moderation and go indoors if you feel your hands and feet getting cold or numb.
• Never start or operate a snow blower or chain saw in your garage.
• Clear the area around hydrants near your property, if possible. Avoid shovelling snow into the street.
• Before driving, clear snow from your car roof and windows to avoid creating a hazard for other drivers.
• Be on the lookout for falling ice and snow from roofs and gutters. When a lot of heavy snow and ice has accumulated on roofs, do not stand under structures that are not well-supported.