WNY News Now

(WNY News Now) – LANCASTER, N.Y.  – New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) announced that crews continue to make significant progress following Tuesday’s windstorm that impacted its Western divisions. Currently, 3,600 customers are without power in the Company’s Lancaster division, which includes Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Wyoming counties.  NYSEG expects to have the majority of its customers restored by noon Friday.

There are 70 broken poles that crews are working to repair. 788 lineworkers and 128 tree crew personnel are working across the region to make the necessary repairs and get power back on. The Company is shifting resources. An additional 111 lineworkers are expected to arrive today to help in restoration efforts.

NYSEG will provide updates throughout the event to the general public on the company’s social media channels (Facebook and X). The company also offers customers the following reminders to stay safe if power outages do occur.

After Restoration

NYSEG encourages any customer without power after restoration is complete to contact the company at 800.572.1131 to report the issue and allow crews to investigate. Once every customer is restored, the company will continue to fix remaining damage that occurred but did not affect customers or the reliability of service. That will then be followed by a full system sweep of all affected circuits to look for damage or issues that may have been missed but that could cause service disruptions in the future, such as tree limbs on power lines or leaning trees.

NYSEG will continue to provide updates throughout the event to the general public on the company’s social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). The company also offers customers the following reminders to stay safe if power outages do occur.

Outage Information:

• Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive updates automatically by phone, text, or email as the company updates the status of the restoration process in their area. Customers can sign up for outage alerts by visiting here for NYSEG.
• Customer can use the NYSEG mobile app to report and check the status of outages. To download the application, customers should search “AVANGRID” in the Apple or Android app stores and select “NYSEG.” The application is free to download.

Stay away from downed wires:

• Stay at least 30 feet from a downed power line.
• 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.
• NYSEG customers should call 1.800.572.1131 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations.

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 NYSEG at 1.800.572.1131.
• 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.

Power restoration priorities:

The Company’s first priorities are to respond to reports of downed power lines to keep the public safe. NYSEG customers are asked to call 1.800.572.1131 to report downed wires. Once vital public safety work is complete, the company will:

• Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.
• Develop a detailed restoration plan.
• Make repairs as quickly as possible.

For additional information, including storm preparation tips, storm safety information, generator safety information, restoration priorities and emergency resources, visit Outage Central at nyseg.com and on the company’s social media pages:

• Facebook: @NYSEandG
• X: @NYSEandG