Assemblymember Cahill Issues Storm Safety Advisory

Shelters and Dry Ice Available

December 13, 2008

Thursday’s ice storm has left many homes throughout the Hudson Valley and Catskill region without power. Central Hudson, the State, counties, municipalities and emergency service providers are working diligently to restore service and provide assistance to those impacted by the outages. Despite these ongoing efforts, it is very likely that many homes will remain without power through the weekend. With that in mind, it is important to adhere to the following precautions:

• Do not touch downed power lines. Call your utility and inform them of downed power lines in your neighborhood and that you are without power.
• Do not use candles to light your home. Use a flashlight.
• If you are using a generator for electricity, make sure to run it outside of your home.
• Do not use a natural gas or propane range to heat your home. Never use a grill or stove intended for use outdoors in your home.
• Turn off major appliances and sensitive electronic equipment to prevent overloading and possible damage when power is restored.
• Stay warm and dress in layers if you are without heat.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible to minimize the loss of perishable food.

Shelters have also been established in conjunction with the American Red Cross at the following locations:

• ULSTER COUNTY: SUNY New Paltz Health and Wellness Center. The shelter at the Kerhonkson Fire House will not re-open today.
• DUTCHESS COUNTY: Arlington Middle School and Red Hook High School

These facilities will be available to all individuals without power, regardless of your community of residence.

Dry ice will be provided to people concerned about spoiling food in their refrigerators and freezers at several locations on Saturday. The dry ice will be available on a first-come, first served basis while supplies last, at:

• Two locations in Ulster County: Central Hudson’s facility on the corner of Route 299 and Eltings Corners Rd. (opposite Lowe’s) beginning at approximately 12:00 noon; and at Ellenville Village Hall, 2 Elting Court, beginning at approximately 1:00 PM
• In Dutchess County at Red Hook High School, 103 West Market Street, beginning at approximately 1:00 PM

Households who have not reported their power outage should do so by calling Central Hudson’s automated PowerLine at (845) 452-2700 or 1-800-527-2714. If you cannot reach your utility, please contact the State Public Service Commission hotline at 1-800-342-3355, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM Monday to Friday and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday.

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