PEARL RIVER – Orange and Rockland Utilities is planning a company-wide workforce mobilization late Friday afternoon in anticipation of potential electric and gas system damage from a severe storm predicted to begin late in the day.
The utility will upgrade its readiness status from Storm Watch to Storm Alert at 6 p.m. Friday.
Forecasters are calling for one to two inches of rain Friday with strong wind gusts by Friday night.
One of O&R’s chief concerns is that the heavy rain softening up the ground could make the area’s tree stock unstable and high winds could topple trees and bring down power lines.
Today’s rain and wind is not associated with Hurricane Joaquin, which is now expected to stay well offshore when I passes by late in the weekend.
