Oneonta: NYSEG Crews to Continue Work Overnight - 10 p.m.
Additional resources continue to arrive to support local restoration efforts
BINGHAMTON, New York — December 25, 2020, 10:00 p.m. — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) crews are continuing to make progress as they work to restore customers that were impacted by this morning’s strong winds and rain. Currently, approximately 1,239 customers remain without power in the company’s Oneonta division. The Oneonta division includes Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Greene, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Otsego, Schoharie and Ulster counties.
As a result of today’s storm, NYSEG reported roughly 26 downed wires and 7 broken poles. Throughout the day, crews focused on restoration efforts, completing a thorough damage assessment, clearing downed wires and trees and making safe work sites. Crews made significant progress restoring power to impacted customers. The company also continued to coordinate its response effort with state and local emergency management officials to clear roads of fallen trees and hazards and restore power service to critical facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Work will continue overnight, and crews will focus their efforts on circuits that will restore power to the largest number of customers. The remaining outages represent the most challenging areas for the field crews to access and repair. There are also many instances of damaged infrastructure that require time consuming repair in order to restore less than 10 customers. Additional crews continue to arrive in the division to expedite the restoration process and bring power back to customers as safely and quickly as possible.
The company understands the inconvenience and challenges that any disruption in service may cause, especially during the holidays. The company assures customers that crews continue to work around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. 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.
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