New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) are preparing for a winter storm expected to bring strong wind gusts, rain and some snow across New York state on Tuesday. As a result of this forecast, the Companies have pre-staged approximately 1,300 line workers and 200 tree crews across its service areas. This storm has the potential to impact all of NYSEG and RG&E’s service areas, which includes Western New York, Rochester, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, North Country, Capital Region, Hudson Valley, and Westchester regions.
Current forecasts call for wind gusts potentially reaching 60 mph, to begin late Tuesday into Wednesday. The impact has the potential to bring down trees and limbs, causing damage to overhead power lines and other electrical equipment. The companies urge customers to monitor local forecasts and prepare for the possibility of service interruptions.
The companies’ storm readiness teams have been monitoring weather forecasts, planning, readying crews and equipment, mobilizing employees for storm duty, and having contract tree and line crews ready to help restore service should outages occur.
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 and RG&E customers should call 1.800.743.1701 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 or RG&E at 1.800.743.1701.
- Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of the refrigerator and freezer door
