Power Outage Update for Rockland County

Mayor Marshall Katz has published an update on the power outage in Rockland County, and the news is not promising.

I just got off a municipal conference call with O&R.  I wish I had good news to share.  The impact of yesterday’s storm on their system is second only to Hurricane Sandy. In addition to all the power lines down, 15 transmission lines were also knocked out of service, 5 of which have already been restored.  Their focus today is on “make safe” (for energized lines that are down), “cut clear”(get trees cut away from lines prior to sending out repair crews), stabilizing the transmission system, and critical infrastructure.
They have committed to coming up with a “Global” estimated time of recovery number by this evening.  That means that this evening they should be able to estimate by when the majority of O&R customers will be restored.  They also committed to having a Rockland County estimated time of recovery by tomorrow evening.  More detailed recovery times for specific outages will follow and will appear on their outage map.  The general restoration time they are currently committing to is an unacceptable 7-10 days, so for some of us, this will unfortunately be an extended outage.
If you have a critical need such a medical equipment that requires power and have not previously registered this need with O&R, you should call their customer service number.
Some mutual aid crews from other utilities are already working in Rockland and many more have been requisitioned.  O&R is also arranging for wet ice and water to be made available for pickup (due to Covid, dry ice is not currently being manufactured).  The likely pickup location will be the Boulder’s ballpark, but this has not been confirmed.  As soon as I have more information I will share it.
As I stated in my last email, if anyone needs a place to cool off or recharge their devices, our Community Room at Village Hall will be available from 9am-4pm on weekdays.  There is also a TV, cooking facilities (microwave, stove and oven), a refrigerator and bathrooms.  Anyone coming to use the Community Room should wear a mask and maintain social distance from other people who may be there.  The Village will arrange for daily cleanings to reduce Covid transmission.
Village Hall did lose internet, and our phones went down about an hour ago.  Most of our staff can access their emails via their cell phones, so that is currently the best way to reach Village Hall (other than visiting in person).
Best regards,