FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   CONTACT: Media Relations

March 15, 2010                                                                                         (212) 460-4111

8:30 a.m.                                                                                                                                                      

Morning Update

CON EDISON RESTORATIONS CONTINUE: MORE THAN HALF RESTORED

NEW YORK -- Con Edison crews have restored power to more than half of the customers affected by the powerful storm that knocked trees and limbs into power lines throughout New York City and Westchester County.  More than 173,000 customers were affected by the storm, far exceeding the number of outages caused by Hurricane Gloria in 1985, when 110,515 customers lost power. 

As of 8 a.m. today, the company had restored power to approximately 87,000 customers.  Approximately 86,000 customers remained without power: 64,500 in Westchester County, 14,000 in Staten Island, 3,500 in the Bronx, 2,900 in Queens and 1,170 in Brooklyn.

Con Edison expects restoration to last throughout the week.  The company has been securing mutual aid from utilities in several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Massachusetts. 

Con Edison has approximately 362 restoration crews now in the field, in addition to other field support personnel clearing roads and trees.  The number of restoration crews is expected to grow to 425 by Wednesday as the out-of-state crews arrive.

Con Edison has additional customer service representatives, electrical and construction crews, along with tree-clearing crews working around the clock to respond to customers and power outages that may occur.

Customers are urged to call Con Edison immediately to report any outages at 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).Customers can also report power interruptions or service problems at www.conEd.comand on their cell phones and PDAs.  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 have already reported their outage need not call Con Edison again.  They will be called by Con Edison when their estimated restoration time has been established.

In the event of severe outages, primary distribution feeders are restored first, with the highest priority given to lines that supply the most customers out of service.  Next, the crews restore secondary facilities, such as transformers and secondary cables, again with highest priority given to lines supplying the most customers out of service.  Individual services, lines serving a single home, will be restored as crews become available.

Con Edison offers the following tips to prepare for a storm:

If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them.  Treat all downed wires as if they are live.  Never attempt to move or touch them with any object.  Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by 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.
If your power goes out, turn off all lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored.  Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored.
Check to make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are in working order. Use candles and oil lamps with care.  Also, make sure you 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.
Avoid opening your freezer to see if food is still frozen.  Every time you open the door, room-temperature air enters and speeds the thawing process.  Most fully loaded freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 36 to 48 hours; half-full freezers will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours.

The company is maintaining close contact with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to coordinate storm response as necessary.

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Christine Cummings

Public Affairs- NYC Government Relations

212-460-6599

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