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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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.

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WPCNR THE POWER STORY. Latest Con Edison Comprehensive Update as of 1:15 P.M. E.S.T. Updated with George Latimer Briefing LINK:

Here is the update from the previous first published detailed comprehensive Con Edison Update. The number of customers out in Westchester has not gone down, but gone up 116 Customers to 27,853.  

At the 3:30 Con Ed Update the Customers without power had declined to 26,371, declining 1,386 in two hours far short of the 2,500 per hour if Con Edison is going to have to hit today to get Westchester totally connected by the time precipitation begins this evening.

County Executive George Latimer gave a Midday Briefing on the storm situation and you can see that at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/westchestergov/videos/?ref=page_internal

(Copy and paste the above link in your browser and hit go to see the briefing)

Mr. Latimer said that Governor Andrew Cuomo called the NYSEG and Con Ed restoration efforts “absurd” and promised a full investigation of the utilities performance.

Latimer said NYSEG had restored 4,200 Customers since yesterday, and at noon had 15,654 still out.

Benjamin Boykin of White Plains said the Board of Legislators would be interviewing both NYSEG and Con Edison on March 19 to find out what they have to say about how they handled the restoration efforts. Latimer said if you were an executive and you promised something by a certain time and you did not make it, you were fired.

Now, here is how the numbers looked at 1:15 P.M. WPCNR will publish the 5:15 Update when Con Ed releases it.

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. by John F. Bailey. March6, 2018 7:25 A.M.

Con Edison crews restored 5,489 Customers to power since 11:30 last night.

According to the Con Ed real time Outage Map, 28,545 Customers are still without power in the 7 AM hour Tuesday morning.

Scarsdale, Peekskill,Larchmont,Mamaroneck, Chappaqua, Rye, Rye Brook, Mount Vernon, Armonk, Pelham, Ossining, Mohegan Lake, Shrub Oak, Harrison, Sleepy Hollow, Mt. Kisco, Beford still not much change overnight. since WPCNR last tallied the hardest hit cities and towns on the Con Ed map just before midnight.

In White Plains, no more restorations overnight, or since Sunday, WP still shows 360 Customers without power

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WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. From Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. March 8, 5:30 PM:

The Greenburgh  town crews will work thru the night today with Con Ed. And we have crews picking up roadside debris  till dark in preparation for Wednesday’s snow storm. If you have wires in front of your house please let us know and we will forward to Con Ed. We are preparing for a large snow storm on Wednesday. We are monitoring anticipated conditions and will keep you advised.

Con Ed has been making progress restoring power  (Monday) to some  (Greenburgh) residents. Have been receiving e mails from some (but not all residents) with good news –their power is on. Hopefully, if your power is off you’ll get good news soon.

During my conference call with Con Ed and other municipal officials was advised that a few hundred contractors from outside the Con Ed service area are now in the area –more outside help expected tomorrow. And, Con Ed has asked for hundreds more to be available to them on Wednesday (for the anticipated snow).

These are areas the town is addressing—trees that have to be removed…

Road Closure / Tree Priority List

1)      26 White House Rd / Don Ln – Ticket WE18024599 & WE18024758 – completed

2)      White House Rd / Biltom Rd – Ticket WE18047374 – completed

3)      Biltom Rd / Don Ln – Ticket WE18047396 – completed

4 )  13 Bryant St / Secor Rd – Ticket   WE18051981

5)      18 Kathwood Road / Bowbell Road – Ticket  WE18035024

6)     640 Old Kenisco Rd / Edgepark – Ticket WE18048920

7)    40 Dorchester Dr /Mount Joy – WE18052970

8)   43 Sheridan/Clayton Rd WE18053010

9)    300 Clayton Rd/ Sheridan Rd – WE18053022

10)  Caterson Terrace/Charlotte Pl/Holland Pl – WE18042113

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WPCNR  THE POWER STORY.From County Executive George Latimer on Facebook. March 5, 2018:

Day Four of no power: tempers are high. Understandable. I went seven days during Sandy without power and it was a real problem.

But let’s get real with comments.

No single ‘neighborhood’ or town has been forgotten. First off, I’ve personally travelled through nearly every community over the weekend and saw for myself devastation.

Unfortunately when you’re out of power, you don’t particularly know or care about someplace 29 miles away that is also without power. This storm was serious and it affected people everywhere – Somers, Pelham, Peekskill, Yonkers, Armonk, Rye, literally everywhere.

It is false to assert your neighborhood has been forgotten because you havent seen trucks in your neighborhood.

The utilities were unprepared. They did not have enough trucks in most neighborhoods. They needed to call on mutual aid from distant states sooner – only last night did they arrive to put more professionals on the streets.

Anger directed at your Mayor, Council, Supervisor et. Is misplaced. They cannot direct utility resources.

Your anger is valid but it must be directed to the leadership of the utilities who did not plan for this disaster. I know as fact every official has been on numerous calls with the utilities literally screaming at them for attention for their towns.

The daytime warming centers are provided for a respite. Use them. Until the crews can get to you its the most proximate thing your local govt can do to give you a break.

After the crisis is over there’ll be much to hold accountable. For now, the British have it right ” Keep Calm and Carry On”. We will all direct our anger where it should be directed.