O&R Readies Emergency Storm Response Teams

From Orange & Rockland Utilities

PEARL RIVER, NY — O&R is mobilizing its emergency storm response teams to make repairs and restore electric service as needed as thunderstorms, possibly severe, packing high, gusty winds and heavy downpours, are predicted Thursday afternoon and evening for the region.

O&R company and contractor overhead line crews and tree removal experts are ramped up for deployment as needed. Damage assessment, site safety, customer service operations and the wide array of O&R teams that support those functions also are ready to respond. In addition, O&R has hired 100 additional contractor overhead line technicians to supplement its storm response as required.

Strong winds may knock trees and branches onto power lines, causing customers to lose service. Once it is safe to assess damage and begin restoration, crews will give priority to making repairs to critical and emergency facilities (police and fire stations, and hospitals, for example) and to those locations that will provide power to the most customers quickly. Then, crews will restore smaller outages and individual customers’ outages.

The following video describes the typical storm repair and power restoration process: https://youtu.be/JeGU8ID4_m0

Forecasters predict that widespread severe thunderstorms are possible today between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Those storms could bring heavy rains and damaging winds.

How to report an outage

If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it. You can report it and check to see when your lights will be back on through:

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• www.oru.com/outage from any computer or web-based mobile device.###a>
• O&R mobile app from your iPhone, iPad or Android device — download via Apple Store or Google Play.###a>
• Text messaging by texting “OUT” to 69678 (myORU) or###a>
• ###a>Call 1-877-434-4100

Be Safe

O&R reminds its customers to stay clear of downed electric wires. Don’t go near 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.