More than 31,000 Without Power: O&R On 2nd Storm

PEARL RIVER, NY — O&R reports remaining in storm emergency mode as crews work around the clock to make repairs and restore power. For the second time in less than a week, a nor'easter damaged infrastructure and downed trees throughout O&R service territory.

At the height of the second nor’easter on Wednesday, more than 55,000 customers lost power. Working overnight, O&R restored service to 24,000 customers with about 31,000 remaining without power.

The most significant outages from Winter Storm Quinn occurred early Wednesday evening in Franklin Lakes and Oakland, NJ. Two substations that serve those customers were affected, resulting in more than 10,000 customers losing power. Over 7,300 customers were restored overnight and efforts continue to bring power back to the remaining customers, company officials said.

O&R crews also continue to work in Sullivan County, restoring power to customers who lost service as a result of Winter Storm Riley’s destructive winds.

In the aftermath of severe weather, customers are asked to be cautious and aware of the potential for downed wires buried under deep snow. Please:

• Stay away from any downed trees, damaged poles and equipment. The damage could involve downed wires that may be energized. Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with, including puddles and fences.

• Never touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free at 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.

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 the company know what happened. The more information you can provide, the more O&R can help you.

There are several ways customers can report outages and check service restoration status:

• Call Customer Assistance at 1-877-434-4100
• Use the O&R mobile app from your iPhone, iPad or Android device;
• Text “OUT” to 69678 (myORU); or
• Go to the O&R website from any computer or web-enabled mobile device

PHOTO/ Lanning Taliaferro