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O&R Ramping Up to Restore Power as Thunder Storms Approach Tonight

O&R is ramping up its company-wide emergency response group to repair damage and restore electric service interruptions that could possibly result from severe thunderstorms that are expected to rumble through the region this evening.

O&R’s company and contractor overhead line crews and its tree removal experts are preparing to mobilize at 6 p.m. today. Customer service operations and the wide array of O&R teams that support those functions also will be deployed this evening.

O&R Warns

For safety’s sake, O&R warns the public not to touch or approach any downed wire. Assume all downed wires are energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free 1-877-434-4100. Depending on the situation, you also should call your local police to divert traffic until an O&R crew arrives.

Weather Forecast

A cold front will cross the region this evening bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms from 6 p.m. through 10 p.m. Isolated severe thunderstorms also are possible from 6 p.m. through 10 p.m. By definition, severe thunderstorms could contain wind gusts higher than 57 mph, hail larger than one inch in diameter or tornadoes.

For the latest information about power outages, please view O&R’s Outage Map.

Restoring Service 

Once the weather clears enough to safely assess damage and begin electric service restoration, crews will give priority to clearing downed wires blocking roads and making repairs to critical and emergency facilities (police and fire stations, and hospitals, for example) and to those locations where the repair will provide power to the largest number of customers quickly. Then, crews will restore smaller outages and individual customers’ outages.

How to Report an Outage

If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it. You can report it and check to see when your lights will be back on through:

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