UPDATE: O&R Reports Power Restored to 75% of Customers

UPDATE 6 a.m. Nov. 5

Electricity has been returned to 75% O&R customers whose power was knocked out by Hurricane Sandy. That's about 188,200 of their 250,000 customers. Ongoing repairs are expected to bring electric service back to 90 percent of affected customers Nov. 11. Gas crews continue to restore gas services in Stony Point, Piermont and Nyack as properties affected by tidal flooding are made safe.

Approximate numbers of remaining 61,800 customer outages, by county:

• Rockland: 25,500
• Bergen: 13,500
• Orange: 15,100
• Passaic: 5,800
• Sullivan: 1,900
• Pike: 18
• Sussex: 24

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Orange & Rockland Utilities reported 38,600 customers in Rockland County were still without power as of 6 a.m. Sunday, which is 1,400 more since 10 p.m. Saturday.

According to O&R, 60 percent of the customers who lost power due to Hurricane Sandy now have it back as of Sunday morning. That represents 155,000 of their  250,000 customers, leaving about 95,000 still in the dark.

O&R set Nov. 11 as the expected date for 90 percent of its customers to have power back and estimated restoration times can be found on their outage map. 

O&R said that crews and their 75 trucks from California were air-lifted by military transport to Stewart Airport in Newburgh on Friday and Saturday joined O&R's effort, along with National Guard troops from the 42nd Infantry Division in Troy. The National Guard's main focus will be helping to clear roads and ensure that areas with downed wires remain safe. This will also help the Company reassign more O&R employees to contribute directly to restoration work.

O&R Gas crews are ready to turn on the remaining gas services in Stony Point, Nyack and Piermont once residents and business owners are able to return. A total of 699 gas services underwent emergency shutdown as a result of the 10-foot tidal surge that followed the hurricane.

O&R continues to send out reminders that people should assume any downed wire is still live. Avoid them and report them to O&R at 1-877-434-4100.

O&R workers will be distributing dry ice from 10 a.m. to noon Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in Orangeburg. 

Current numbers of electric outages, by county:

• Rockland: 38,600
• Bergen: 24,600
• Orange: 20,200
• Passaic: 9,000
• Sullivan: 2,500
• Pike: 100
• Sussex: 65

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Original Post 

Orange & Rockland Utilities reported 40,000 customers in Rockland County were still without power as of 10 p.m. Saturday, but the numbers of people without electricity continue to decline.

According to O&R, 57% of the customers who lost power due to Hurricane Sandy had it back by Saturday night. Approximately 250,000 customers lost their electricity due to the storm, and 107,000 are still waiting for the lights to come back on. O&R set Nov. 11 as the expected date for 90 percent of its customers to have power back. 

O&R also reported that 26 of 27 damaged transmission lines and 61 of 101 distribution circuits had been repaired, progress in the company's efforts to restore the infrastructure of its systems.

Military transport brought crews and 75 trucks from California in to Stewart Airport in Newburgh Friday, and those reinforcements joined in the work with O&R Saturday. O&R currently has 1,000 of its own employees and 2,000 contractors at work.

National Gaurd troops from the 42nd Infantry Division in Troy, NY reported in with O&R Saturday morning, with a primary focus on helping to clear roads and ensure the safety of areas with downed wires. 

O&R continues to send out reminders that people should assume any downed wire is still live. Avoid them and report them to O&R at 1-877-434-4100.

O&R workers will be distributing dry ice from 10 a.m. to noon Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in Orangeburg.