Putnam Officials Criticize NYSEG Response To Halloween Storm

PUTNAM COUNTY — As of 9:23 p.m. Friday there were still 719 customers in Putnam County without electricity in the wake of the Halloween storm that swept through New York, with damaging, gusty winds and heavy rains, according to the NYSEG website. As of 8 a.m. Friday morning, NYSEG had reported 59,443 customers out of power, including 2,513 out in Putnam County.

But the utility's response was marred by poor communication, Putnam County officials said.

Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell blasted NYSEG for poor performance, citing lack of communication during a windstorm that left thousands of residents without power and without a clue as to when it would be restored.

Even Putnam’s Bureau of Emergency Services couldn’t reach NYSEG during the height of the windstorm, which began Thursday evening.

“NYSEG’s response is completely unacceptable,” Odell said. “The company left residents in potential danger and left our emergency response teams without support. This is a public utility and communication with the emergency service agencies that protect the public is paramount. Not to mention that the company is obligated to let residents – their ratepayers -- know where the power is out and when it will be restored.”

Odell said NYSEG reported to the state Office of Emergency Management that only five customers were out in Putnam County, when there were actually 2,709 customers without power as of 11 a.m. Friday. The time of that report to OEM is unknown.

NYSEG said on its own website Friday morning that there were more than 50,000 customers out.

NYSEG’s response was outrageous, Bureau of Emergency Services Commissioner Ken Clair said.

“At one point, the 911 supervisor called me because 911 couldn’t even get through to NYSEG,” Clair said. “We normally have a special number we call for power outages, and they weren’t answering it. I reached out to our NYSEG spokesperson and asked what I should do and he gave me the 800 number that the public calls to report a power outage. It’s an automated phone line! Can you imagine? They want the 911 center to call an automated phone line. That does not work.”

The storm, which brought winds up to 40 mph from Thursday night through Friday, had been forecast well in advance. NYSEG notified Putnam County on Thursday afternoon that 21 mutual aid companies would be available to help.

Putnam officials said they didn't see that aid.

They said several emergency responders throughout the county had to guard over downed wires for hours during the storm before NYSEG responded. In Kent, it took two hours for NYSEG to respond to the fire department’s calls, they said.

Kent, one of the hardest-hit towns in Putnam, still had 422 customers out at 9:30 p.m. Friday.

In Putnam Valley, fire department volunteers had to stand guard over live wires on Peekskill Hollow Road all night before NYSEG sent a crew to shut off power, officials said.

“Our volunteer first responders were managing live wires for seven hours, from 9:20 p.m., when the first call came in, until 4:30 a.m., when NYSEG finally cut the power so that the road could be passable,” said Larry Cobb, Chief of the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department. “That is unacceptable.”

Putnam Valley had 17 customers till out as of 9:30 p.m.

Officials complained that in Lake Carmel and Patterson, the fire houses were still out of power at 11 a.m. Friday morning, as were the Patterson Library and much of the Carmel schools.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declared Friday a state of emergency for Dutchess, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Essex, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Saratoga and Warren counties. The extreme weather caused nearly 60 roads closures across the state, left more than 241,000 buildings or homes without power, and necessitated several emergency rescues from rapid flooding.