Brewster: NYSEG Adds to Field Resources, Continues Restoration Effort - 6:30 am

Company will work until every customer is restored

BINGHAMTON, New York — December 26, 2020, 6:30 a.m. — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) continues to onboard additional field resources as the company works to restore all customers impacted by yesterday’s storm. The company expects to restore 95 percent of customers in the Brewster division by 11:00 p.m. today. Currently of the 27,375 customers that were impacted in the company’s Brewster division, 3,980 customers remain without power. The Brewster division includes Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester counties.

Overnight, crews continued restoration work and focused efforts on circuits that would restore power to the largest number of customers. To expedite restoration efforts today, the company has onboarded additional field recourse in the Brewster division, including support from mutual assistance companies from New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and across New England. Currently, more than 450 field resources are involved locally in restoration efforts. Due to this substantial workforce, the company will place crews in communities throughout the service area and expects to make significant progress today.

As restoration efforts continue, customers may experience additional power outages as crews may need to cut power to certain areas to safely make repairs on the system to restore the remaining areas. Crews will continue to work until the job is done and every customer is restored. The company acknowledges how difficult it is for customers that are still without power and assures customers that we are doing everything we can to get their power back on as quickly as possible.

After Restoration

NYSEG encourages any customer without power after restoration is complete to contact the company at 800.572.1131 to report the issue and allow crews to investigate. Once every customer is restored, the company will continue to fix remaining damage that occurred but did not affect customers or the reliability of service. That will then be followed by a full system sweep of all affected circuits to look for damage or issues that may have been missed but that could cause service disruptions in the future. The system will then be returned to normal conditions.

Outage Information

  • Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive updates automatically by phone, text, or email as the company updates the status of the restoration process in their area. Customers can sign up for Outage Alerts .
  • You can use our new mobile app to report and check the status of outages. To download the application, customers should search “AVANGRID” in the Apple or Android app stores and select “NYSEG”. The application is free to download.

Stay Away From Downed Wires

  • Stay at least 30 feet from a downed power line.
  • If a downed wire comes in contact with your vehicle, stay inside and wait for help. If you must get out because of fire or other danger, jump clear of the vehicle to avoid any contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and hop with feet together or shuffle away; don’t run or stride.
  • NYSEG customers should call 1.800.572.1131 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations.

During a Power Interruption

  • Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
  • To report a power interruption, contact NYSEG at 1.800.572.1131.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.

Power Restoration Priorities

The companies’ first priorities are to respond to reports of downed power lines to keep the public safe. NYSEG customers are asked to call 1.800.572.1131 to report downed wires. Once this vital public safety work is complete, the company will:

  • Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.
  • Develop a detailed restoration plan.
  • Make repairs as quickly as possible.

For additional information, including storm preparation tips, storm safety information, generator safety information, restoration priorities and emergency resources, visit Outage Central and the company’s social media pages:

  • Facebook: @NYSEandG
  • Twitter: @NYSEandG
 

 

Media Contacts:

  • Sarah Warren
    sarah.warren@avangrid.com
    585.794.9253
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