Westchester Outages Decline as Con Edison and County Clean Up After Second Nor’easter

Westchester outages have dipped under 13,000, with 2,000 Con Edison and mutual-aid utility workers dedicated to repairing damage and restoring power around the clock following Wednesday’s Nor’easter.

Outages within New York City’s limits have been reduced to a few hundred.

Crews have restored about 187,000 of the approximately 200,000 customers affected by damaging storms that delivered a potent one-two punch over the course of five days. Company officials acknowledge that some of the toughest work remains, with more than 86 Westchester roads closed, more than 600 of the outages involving single customers, and locations with severe tree damage.

Customers who are still out of power from last week’s storm are being given the highest priority for restoration. Restoration efforts will continue on a 24-hour basis until every customer is restored.

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

Proper caution also should be exercised in the safe use of portable generators, which must be placed outside the premises a safe distance away to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Crews restoring service first focus on repairs to critical facilities, such as hospitals, municipal pumping stations and schools.

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.