Putnam County continues its tropical storm recovery efforts (video)

County Executive MaryEllen Odell and the ICS Team at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) continue to monitor the cleanup and restoration efforts from Tropical Storm Isaias.

“The wind gusts from the storm did a large amount of damage in a relatively short period of time”, said County Executive Odell, “NYSEG reports that damage from this storm surpassed the damage to our region done by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and they will continue to work around the clock to provide restoration”.

County Executive Odell continues to meet with Carl Taylor, President & CEO of NYSEG and Michael Kopy, NYS Director of Emergency Management. NYSEG reports that there were 1,300 downed wires in addition to more than 161 broken poles in our region. Currently there are more than 1200 company and contractor (line and tree) resources actively working in the Brewster division (the Brewster Division serves not only Putnam County but upper Westchester and parts of Dutchess County). NYSEG expects 50% of it’s customers to be restored by Thursday, August 6, 2020 evening with 95% restored by Monday, August 10, 2020. Dry Ice and water is being made available to customers impacted by the outage. Residents should contact their local municipality for distribution information. Each municipality will establish their own location and schedule.

Water and Ice Distribution
(Please check with your local municipality for the availability of dry ice and current schedule)

Carmel	Knights of Columbus 10 Fair St	Wet Ice and Bottled Water
Kent	Kent Police Department 40 Sybil’s Crossing	Bottled Water 24 Hrs
Mahopac	Roller Rink Parking Lot 740 Rt 6	Wet Ice and Bottled Water
Patterson	Town Hall 1142 NY 311	Bottled Water 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Putnam Lake	Scott’s Putnam Lake Wines 74 Fairfield Dr	Bottled Water 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Putnam Valley	Putnam Valley Fire House 265 Oscawanna Lake Rd	Wet Ice and Bottled Water
Southeast	Town Hall 1360 Rt 22	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Bottled Water

Comfort stations available:

Friendship Center of Philipstown (former Butterfield Hospital site). 1756 NY-9D, Cold Spring NY

Knights of Columbus, 10 Fair St, Carmel NY

Both facilities are open from 10 AM until 4 PM. Residents can use the facilities to cool down and recharge their phones and other electronic equipment.

All County facilities resumed a normal operating schedule however our public transportation system which includes the Croton Falls Commuters and fixed route PART System is suspended and expected to resume normal operations on Friday, August 7, 2020.

NYSEG reports that currently 23,600 customers are without power. Central Hudson reports 2,000 customers are without power.

Residents are reminded to report any outages to their local utility company.  NYSEG can be contacted at 800-572-1131. Central Hudson Gas & Electric can be contacted at 845-452-2700. Both companies have an app available for download to track outages.

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully manned and should only be used for emergency requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Safety Near Fallen Wires:

• You can’t tell if a power line is energized just by looking at it. You should assume that all fallen power lines are live and proceed with extreme caution.
• If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 30 feet away from it and anything touching it. The ground around a power line and any objects it contacts, such as a fence, may be energized. Call 911 to report the condition so that emergency responders and Central Hudson or NYSEG are notified.
• If a downed wire comes in contact with your vehicle, stay inside and wait for help. If you must get out because of fire or other danger, jump clear of the vehicle to avoid any contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and hop with feet together or shuffle away; don’t run or stride.
• Do not attempt to move a fallen power line or anything else in contact with it using an object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials or cloth can conduct electricity if slightly wet.

 During a Power Interruption

• Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
• To report a power interruption, contact your utility company.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.