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Con Edison Enters Next Phase of Restoration As Second Storm Batters the Region

  • Con Edison Media Relations

  • New York – March 07, 2018 -- 08:00 PM

Con Edison’s full army of crews is ready to get back in the streets to restore power to customers once Storm Quinn has passed and conditions are safe for them and the public.

The crews restored power to all but 6,500 of the customers who lost service from last Friday’s snow and fierce winds. Meanwhile, the storm that hit New York City and Westchester County today has caused additional outages.

In all, about 30,000 customers are out of service. That includes about 24,400 in Westchester with the remaining customers in New York City.

Restoration Efforts

Today’s storm caused the company to temporarily curtail its restoration for the protection of its workers, who must go up in bucket trucks to work on overhead lines.

The company has restored service to the vast majority of customers in many Westchester communities who were affected by last week’s storm. Service is estimated to be restored to the remaining customers still out of service because of last week’s storm in a number of municipalities by 11 p.m. on Friday. (More information is at: http://bit.ly/2D51a50.)

Con Edison advises that it is working to repair technical issues with the automated outage map on its website. The map may display numbers that are outdated.

Accumulating snow brings tree branches into contact with overhead power lines and causes outages. The mix of melting snow and road salt can get into the underground electrical delivery system and cause equipment problems and customer outages.

Heavy, wet snow may hide downed power lines and people should venture outside with extreme caution.

Con Edison reminds members of the public to stay away from downed wires because they may be live.

The company has nearly 2,000 workers available to work at restoring power, line repair, site safety and planning, including mutual aid workers, who are from as far away as Canada, Texas and Wisconsin.

Crews first focus on repairs that provide power to the most customers and to critical facilities, such as hospitals, municipal pumping stations and schools. Then they move on and make repairs to restore smaller groups and individual customers.

Customers can report downed power lines, outages and check service restoration status at www.conEd.com or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.

Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.

Con Edison offers a number of mobile solutions so you can manage your accounts, report and check the status of an outage, learn energy-saving tips, and more. Text REG to OUTAGE (688243) to sign up for text notifications, and follow the prompts. You will need to enter your Con Edison account number to complete the registration process. Once you've registered, you will not need your account number to report or check the status of a power problem. Or visit us here to stay on top of outages and power problems by signing up for text notifications.

Con Edison offers the following storm tips:

  • Do not go near downed wires because they could be live. Never attempt to move them or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by snow, tree limbs, leaves or water.
  • Report downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
  • If your power goes out, disconnect or turn off appliances that would otherwise turn on automatically when service is restored.  If several appliances start up at once, the electric circuits may overload.
  • Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are working. Have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on electrical service can be heard on local radio and television stations.
  • For more storm tips, go to Con Edison storm safety.

Customers can follow Con Edison on Twitter or like us on Facebook for general outage updates, safety tips and storm preparation information.