Central Hudson customers were reporting 77 outages as of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, impacting 5,080 customers in the region - including 338 in Dutchess County and 103 in Orange County. 4,638 Central Hudson customers in Ulster are also being impacted by the storm.
A cold front is expected to hit the area on Tuesday afternoon, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures - as well as strong wind gust s, thunder and lightning. Flooding has also been predicted in urban and low-lying areas.
“A fast-moving, powerful line of thunderstorms moved through the region this afternoon, bringing strong winds and sustained lightning, and initially interrupting electric service to approximately 15,000 customers of Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation,” Central Hudson officials said. “More than 1,000 lightning strikes were reported as a result of the storms. The heaviest damage occurred in Ulster County, and as of now approximately 5,000 customers remain without service, the majority within the City of Kingston.
“Lighting is believed to be the cause of a transformer fire at an electrical substation in Kingston, and is being addressed by utility crews and emergency responders. Central Hudson crews will be developing plans to re-route power to restore service to the city, expected to take place over the next several hours.”
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