Con Edison Preparing as Winter Storm Approaches the Region
Company Warns Public to Stay Away From Downed Power Lines; More Than 1000 Contractor Workers to Help Restore Service
Con Edison crews supplemented by an additional 1000 contractor workers are on standby to help restore any customers who may be impacted by the snowy, windy weather that is expected to hit the region over the next two days.
The gusty winds and weight of the snow expected to fall could bring down power lines, causing customers to lose power and creating a safety hazard. In addition, road salt will mix with melting snow and can damage underground electrical wiring, possibly leading to outages.
In the event of outages, Con Edison will be ready to respond, supported by line crews, damage assessors, and site safety personnel, along with customer service operations and the Con Edison teams that support those functions.
Con Edison urges members of the public to stay away from all downed lines. Those lines could be live. Con Edison may also station site safety personnel, sometimes in unmarked vehicles, near downed wires to protect the public.
Gusting winds and precipitation will also bring the possibility of flooding in coastal areas during high tides.
Reporting an outage
Con Edison is sending text messages to its customers to make it easier for them to report an outage by simply replying OUT to the text.
Customers can also report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage, or with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Customers can sign up for text alerts at coned.com/text.
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.
Restoring power
Depending on the severity of storm damage, crews will give priority to restoring service lines that will provide power to the most customers as quickly as possible, then move on to restore smaller groups and individual customers who are without power.
Staying safe
Con Edison personnel continue to practice protocols to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus. Con Edison is following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the health emergency.
Con Edison offers the following storm tips to customers to help weather the possible effects of a storm:
- Do not go near downed electrical wires. Treat all 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.
- 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 devices while you have power.
- 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.
- Make sure your flashlights, radios and televisions are working. Have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on restorations of electrical service can be heard on most local radio and television stations.
- For more storm tips and preparation, go to www.conEd.com
Customers can follow Con Edison on Twitter or like us on Facebook for general outage updates, safety tips and storm preparation information.
In addition, the company is in close contact with New York City Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to coordinate storm-response if needed.