Oneonta: NYSEG Releases Daily Storm Restoration Work Plan, Expects to Complete Restoration Today 7 a.m.

Company assigns crew to address cause of every outage

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — October 9, 2020 7:00 a.m. — NYSEG released its daily restoration plan for work that will be completed on Friday, after strong winds and heavy rain disrupted service to thousands of customers on Wednesday. The company expects to restore 95 percent of customers in the Oneonta Division by 6:00 p.m. today and achieve total restoration by the end of the day. The plan includes an overview of the company’s crewing, in addition to its operational activities for the day. NYSEG continues to add resources to the hardest hit areas throughout the restoration effort. Currently, approximately 1,500 customers are without power in the company’s Oneonta Division which includes Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Greene, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Otsego, Schoharie, Ulster counties.

Details of Friday’s Work Plan Include:
Resource and Crewing Information: Currently, the company has more than 430 field personnel engaged in storm response efforts in the Oneonta division, with the company continuing to onboard additional resources to support restoration efforts. Due to the widespread nature of the damage, crews will be working in communities throughout the entire service area. 

Operational Expectations: Due to extensive workforce that the company has built throughout the duration of the event, every outage will be assigned to a crew today and will be worked on until repairs are complete and power is restored.

As a result of strong winds and torrential rain, numerous trees have fallen down, blocking roads and causing extensive damage to the electric system, including broken poles and downed wires. Damage assessments reported 25 broken poles and 151 downed wires.

Crews will be spread throughout the division making critical repairs as safely and quickly as possible. There continue to be many instances of damaged infrastructure that require time consuming repair in order to restore less than 10 customers. NYSEG continues to bring in crews to expedite these efforts and will continue to work until the job is done.

Given the expanded response effort the company has built, restoration times continue to be refined. The company acknowledges how difficult it is for customers that are still without power and 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.
 
COVID-19: Recognizing that many residents are currently home due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, for everyone’s safety, the company asks customers to observe a six-foot social distance if they must be near workers and always remain outside the work zone. Allowing crews to remain uninterrupted and focused on their work enables workers to determine damage and make repairs more quickly.
 
NYSEG will continue to provide updates throughout the event to the general public on the company’s website and social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). The company also offers customers the following reminders to prepare for the storm and 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 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 800.572.1131. 

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