Community Corner

O&R Predicts a Week of Power Issues after Hurricane Sandy

Utility in the works to bring in at least 400 contracted crews in additional to local crews to address Sandy power issues

The following is a release from Orange & Rockland.

O&R is planning a companywide mobilization to repair damage and restore power interruptions expected once Tropical Storm Sandy enters the region on Sunday.

The Company tells its employees to expect widespread storm damage with repairs being performed under difficult conditions for at least a week.

Find out what's happening in Mahwahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Storm Watch preparations that have been ramping up since Thursday continue through the weekend for what the latest forecasts say could be a major storm event at least as destructive as Hurricane Irene and perhaps more so.

There are no severe weather emergencies on the O&R system currently.

Find out what's happening in Mahwahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But the National Weather Service is predicting the almost-certain arrival of tropical-storm conditions with gale-force winds, very heavy rain and significant flooding across the region late in the day Sunday.

And, the predictions call for that violent weather to stall over our area for 24 hours or more.

O&R's first-response organizations are ready to go at the first sign of severe, storm-related damage.

O&R is locking in workforce deployment and scheduling plans, and contracting for extra help — as many as 400 more crews — from utilities and contractors from outside of the storm impact zone.

To help its customers prepare to weather a storm, O&R offers these tips:

  • For safety’s sake, don’t touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free 1-877-434-4100. Depending on the situation, you may also want to call your local police to divert traffic until an O&R crew arrives.
  • Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with including puddles of water and fences. Supervise your children so that they are not in the vicinity and keep pets on a leash.
  • If a fallen wire is draped over a car, do not approach the car and make rescue attempts. Remain a safe distance away, and try to keep the occupant of the vehicle calm. If possible, emergency personnel should handle the situation.
  • Stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, manual can opener, baby supplies and pet food. Set your refrigerator and freezer controls to their coldest settings. Fill the bathtub with water.
  • Have emergency equipment within reach — portable radio, flashlights, candles and matches, spare batteries, first aid kit, cell phone and important medications. Update your personal list of emergency phone numbers. Keep O&R’s toll-free number 1-877-434-4100 near the phone to report power outages.
  • If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it or that someone else will report it. To be sure the outage is reported, please call O&R toll-free at 1-877-434-4100 to let O&R know what happened. The more information you can provide, the more O&R can help you.
  • Remember, if the base station of your cordless phone plugs into the wall, your phone will be unusable during a power outage.
  • If a family member relies on electrically operated medical devices, secure a portable generator or make alternate arrangements for care. O&R does not provide customers with generators.
  • Keep at least a half-tank of gas in your car. Consider having extra cash on-hand, in case ATM machines don’t work.
  • Listen for storm alerts on the radio. In case of power outages, O&R will keep the stations updated on repair progress.
  • Learn how to manually open and close any electrically powered garage door, security door or gate.


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