Con Edison Crews Battling Heat As Company Prepares For Storms

Con Edison workers continue restoring scattered outages caused by the scorching heat as the company prepares for the next weather challenge, possible powerful thunderstorms.

The company’s workers have been replacing and repairing cable and other equipment to get customers back in service when outages have occurred. That work often requires workers dressed in heavy, protective clothing to go into manholes where the temperature can be hotter than it is at street level.

Con Edison customers have helped keep the power flowing by heeding the company’s request that they conserve power during the heat wave, which is in its sixth day and forecasted to last until Monday.

“While we still have work ahead on behalf of our customers, our talented and dedicated crews have done tremendous work under difficult conditions,” said Patrick McHugh, Con Edison’s senior vice president, Electric Operations. “And our customers have made a great contribution by using energy wisely and helping us keep service reliable. We urge everyone to stay focused on safety as we get to the end of this extended heat wave.”

Heat waves often give way to powerful storms as warm, moist air rises into the atmosphere.

Con Edison is preparing for the possibility of storms on Monday by bringing in extra workers to help restore outages caused by damage to overhead wires and other equipment.

The company urges members of the public to stay away from any wires that are downed during storms. Those wires may be live. Do not try to touch or move them with your hands or any object. Call your local police department or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) to report downed wires.

Con Edison may assign workers to guard downed wires and keep people and pets away from them. These workers may be in unmarked vehicles but they carry Con Edison identification.

How to Report an Outage

Con Edison has sent text messages to customers in areas expected to be most impacted, reminding them to be prepared and to report an outage by replying OUT to the text. Customers can sign up for text alerts at coned.com/text.

Customers can also report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage, with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).

The company also sends e-mails to customers to communicate energy-saving tips and information on reporting outages.

Customers who report outages will receive updates from Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Information on outages and restoration times is also available at the Con Edison outage map. Watch an outage map tutorial video here.

Staying Cool

New York State and New York City sometimes open cooling centers during hot weather. You can get information on the state’s cooling centers and on the city’s cooling centers. Westchester County offers tips on staying safe in the sun and on cooling centers.

Con Edison offers energy savings tips.

The company also offers storm safety tips:

• Do not go near downed wires. Treat downed wires as if they are 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 all 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.
• Members of the public should also avoid transformers that are brought to the ground. The transformers are gray metal drums attached to the wires and poles.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing and using a portable generator. Never plug a generator into a wall unit, use it indoors, or set it up outdoors near open home windows or air-handling vents.
• 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.
• Charge your cellphones and other mobile devices while you have power.
• Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios 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 and preparation, go to www.conEd.com

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