RG&E RESTORES POWER TO 94% OF CUSTOMERS OVERNIGHT

Yesterday’s storms affected more than 31,000 customers across the system.
 

>> RG&E urges customers to stay away from downed power lines – even lines that appear dead can be deadly. Please call 800.743.1701 to report downed lines or other hazardous situations.

>> Emergency generators can be dangerous. Carefully read, understand and follow manufacturer’s instructions when operating an emergency generator. Never, ever run emergency generators indoors. Learn more about generator safety at www.rge.com.


Rochester, NY – Another line of intense thunderstorms blew through the Rochester region late yesterday afternoon. High winds, torrential rains and plentiful lighting damaged many parts of RG&E’s electric distribution system, and caused outages for more than 31,000 customers across all areas of its system. At the peak of the storm more than 27,000 customers were out of service, mostly in Monroe, Wayne, Ontario and Cayuga Counties. 

As of 7:30 a.m., about 1,800 RG&E customers are without power across our system: 290 customers in Monroe County, 500 in Wayne County, 736 in Cayuga County, and 266 in Ontario County.

Areas with the most outages in Monroe County include:

  • Pittsford  156
  • Webster (Town & Village)  75
  • Perinton  43

“Our crews worked through the night and made great progress restoring power to 94% of RG&E customers affected by yesterday’s storms,” said Mark S. Lynch, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E. “We will continue to work until all of our customers get their power back.”

RG&E expects to have power restored to all customers by the end of the day today. Customers can check estimated restoration times for specific locations on our website at www.rge.com or by calling 800.743.1701.

For the latest outage numbers, locations and estimated restoration times (as they are available), click here. 

Power Restoration Priorities
RG&E’s first priority is responding to known incidents of downed power lines to make the situations safe. (RG&E customers should call 800.743.1701 to report downed wires.) Once this vital public safety work is complete, we will:

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

How We Go About Restoring Power Following Major Storms
We first repair the backbone of the electricity system – transmission lines and substations – that bring electricity to the local distribution system that serves our customers. We then make any necessary repairs to the distribution system – including the poles and power lines along streets and roads. We focus our first efforts on circuits where we can restore power to the largest number of customers. As part of this process, we take into account the needs of hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations, as well as any other critical infrastructure.

We also focus on our customers who depend on electrically-operated life support equipment. This is a time-proven process that ensures we safely restore service as quickly and efficiently as possible.


RG&E Offer the Following Reminders:

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 RG&E at 800.743.1701. Our telephone systems let callers report the problem, help our crews respond quickly and efficiently, and provide customers with power interruption updates. Because many people may be trying to reach us during a power interruption, phone lines may be busy. Anyone who has access to a working computer or mobile device during a power interruption can also report the interruption online here. 
  • Listen to a battery-powered radio for weather and power restoration updates. 
  • Turn off major appliances (electric water heaters, refrigerators and freezers) and sensitive electronic equipment (TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, audio equipment) to prevent overloading and possible damage when power is restored. Turning off this equipment may mean unplugging it, turning off a circuit breaker or removing a fuse for the circuit that provides power to this equipment. Leave one light switch “on” to know when power has been restored.
  • Emergency generators can be dangerous. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Never run an emergency generator indoors; operate generators only outdoors in well-ventilated areas.
  • Don’t use a natural gas or propane range to heat your home.
  • Never use outdoor grills or stoves inside.
  • 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.

After Power Is Restored

  • If a basement or home was flooded, customers should have an electrician check the home and have a plumbing and heating contractor check natural gas appliances before contacting RG&E to have services turned on.
  • Turn on appliances and sensitive electronic equipment one at a time to avoid overloading circuits.
  • Replenish emergency supplies used during the storm.
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