NYSEG Responding After Snow Disrupts Service

 

The remnants of winter storm caused tree damage


PLATTSBURGH, NY — December 17, 2022, 12:00 PM — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) is responding after heavy, wet snow associated with the statewide winter storm impacted the region this morning. Currently, approximately 4,200 customers in the company’s Plattsburgh division are without power. The Plattsburgh division includes areas of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, and St. Lawrence counties. NYSEG expects this will be a multiple day event, and will provide restoration times once the extent of the damage is more thoroughly assessed.

Crews worked throughout the night and are continuing to respond to outages and assessing damage. Initial reports indicate damage from the storm includes downed trees and transmission lines, which has caused additional damage and has delayed travel for crews. As the storm makes its way through the area, tree’s continue to come down making some area’s inaccessible. In addition to utilizing the crews pre-staged in the region this week, more line and tree crews were deployed early Saturday morning, resulting a total of nearly 400 field workers servicing the region today. The company has also deployed the use of drones to assist in the inaccessible areas.

The company is urging customers to limit travel unless necessary and avoid areas with downed trees. The company’s storm response team is fully engaged and crews will continue to work throughout the day and overnight until every customer is restored. The company is coordinating response efforts with state and local emergency management authorities.

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, such as tree limbs on power lines or leaning trees.

NYSEG will continue to provide updates throughout the event to the general public on the company’s social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). The company also offers customers the following reminders to stay safe if power outages do occur.

Outage Information

  • Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive updates automatically by phone, text, or e-mail as the company updates the status of the restoration process in their area. Customers can sign up for outage alerts by visiting  here for NYSEG.
  • Customers can use the new NYSEG 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 company’s first priority is to respond to reports of downed power lines to keep the public safe. NYSEG customers are asked to call 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 at nyseg.com and on the company’s social media pages:

•    Facebook: @NYSEandG
•    Twitter: @NYSEandG

#  #  #

Media Contact:

Node: liferay-0:8080