By Rockland News team
PEARL RIVER, NY — Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. is mobilizing its emergency response workforce Thursday morning as isolated severe thunderstorms and strong wind gusts are expected to move through the region.
According to O&R, the storm system could bring sustained winds of 15 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph. The utility warned that high winds, saturated soil, and falling trees or limbs could threaten electric service by damaging overhead wires and other equipment.
O&R said its overhead line crews, tree removal teams, customer service operators, and other emergency response personnel will be ready to respond throughout the storm. The company has also secured 100 mutual aid workers to assist if needed.
The utility said it prepares year-round for extreme weather through training, emergency response drills, and infrastructure investments aimed at improving reliability as significant weather events become more frequent.
Residents are urged to stay away from any downed wires. O&R warns that all downed wires should be treated as energized and dangerous. Anyone who sees a downed wire should remain at least 50 feet away and call O&R immediately at 1-877-434-4100. Residents may also contact local police if traffic needs to be diverted from the area until utility crews arrive.
Customers who lose power should not assume O&R already knows about the outage. Outages can be reported online through O&R’s website, through the O&R mobile app, by texting “OUT” to 678797, or by calling 1-877-434-4100.
Once conditions are safe, O&R said crews will first focus on clearing downed wires blocking roads and restoring service to critical facilities such as police stations, fire stations, and hospitals. Repairs that restore power to the largest number of customers will also be prioritized before crews move on to smaller outages and individual service interruptions.
O&R also reminded residents to use portable generators safely. Generators should never be plugged into a wall outlet, used indoors, or placed near open windows or air-handling vents. Improper use can create dangerous carbon monoxide conditions or feed electricity back into power lines, endangering repair crews.
Residents are encouraged to keep emergency supplies nearby, including flashlights, batteries, a portable radio, a first aid kit, a charged cell phone, and necessary medications. Those with cordless phones should remember that phones relying on a plugged-in base station may not work during a power outage.
Electric vehicle owners are also advised to keep their vehicles charged between 75% and 90% in case an outage lasts longer than expected. Customers who cannot charge at home should consider using a publicly accessible Level 2 or DC fast charger before severe weather arrives.
O&R provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey, and natural gas service to approximately 140,000 customers in New York.
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