178,000 Without Power In The Hudson Valley

UPDATE 11 p.m. -- Power outage reports continued to climb Tuesday night after severe thunderstorms brought high winds, heavy rain and hail to the Hudson Valley. A tornado was confirmed in Sullivan County and anecdotal reports were made of tornado-like winds in Newburgh and Carmel in Orange and Putnam counties.

As of 11 p.m. the utility companies aren't offering estimates for when power will be restored.

• NYSEG reported 75,502 customers out, including 2,605 out in Dutchess County; 4,383 out in Orange; 28,459 in Putnam; 2,168 in Ulster and 24,793 in Westchester. Crews are assessing the damage.
• Con Ed reported 4,378 customers out in Westchester, with no estimated time for restoring power.
• Central Hudson reported 21,199 customers out in Dutchess County; 34,721 in Orange; 4,698 in Putnam; and 4,926 in Ulster.
• O&R reported 32,661 customers still out, including 21 percent of its customers in Orange County.

SEE:

• Cuomo Declares States Of Emergency In Several HV Counties
• Delays, Suspended Service Continue For Metro-North: UPDATE
• Tornado Spotted In Hudson Valley Tuesday
• Preliminary Storm Damage Report: National Weather Service
• Putnam Declares State Of Emergency

The wild storms that rushed through the Hudson Valley Tuesday afternoon left more than 100,000 customers without power. Wind gusts up to 78 miles per hour were reported in southern Dutchess County, a tornado was reported in Sullivan, hail fell in Ulster and roughly 1,000 lighting strikes per hour were recorded during the height of the storm in the region, according to Central Hudson.

"This was a fast moving but highly destructive storm, centered on the Mid-Hudson Valley," said Charles A. Freni, Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Transmission & Distribution.

NYSEG reports 58,413 people without power in Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster and Westchester -- including 27.000 people without power in Putnam and 22,000 without power in northern Westchester.

Con Ed reports 6,792 customers without power in Westchester.

Most of Central Hudson's 70,000 customers without power are in the south end of the territory, including 25,000 customers without power in the Wappingers Falls area.

And most of the 36,000 Orange & Rockland Utilities customers without power are in Orange and Rockland.

Power crews are still assessing the damage in most areas.

Lead image via Shutterstock

PHOTO/ Con Ed