WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — West Seneca residents are becoming frustrated due to power outages caused by dying trees that are falling on power lines.
NYSEG reported that 9,400 customers across Western New York lost power since November 26 to 30, including about 375 customers in West Seneca.
In one West Seneca neighborhood, lines weave through rows of dead and dying trees, creating a nightmare for residents who have repeatedly lost electricity.
"After this being a running joke with family and friends, I started to log the power outages," Dawn Baumgarten said. "So, there were many before that, and I finally said, I should just write this down."
Baumgarten documented at least 18 outages since 2023. The most recent outage occurred during the storm that began on November 26.
"Sometimes it was incredibly explainable," Baumgarten said. "We would have a winter storm, and it would make sense. But oftentimes, it would just be this small grid that was without power."
WATCH: West Seneca residents frustrated due to power outages from dead trees
NYSEG said in a statement that the November 26 outage was caused by fallen trees outside the company's right of way, noting it "cannot trim on property that isn't ours."
Town Supervisor Gary Dickson noted NYSEG's tree contractors are now walking the Theresa Court and Westgate Boulevard area, looking for dead trees near power lines that should be removed.
"This particular neighborhood has had a lot of problems with power outages," Dickson said. "While NYSEG has done a great job in other parts of the town, this seems to be a persistent problem."
If contractors spot a tree on private property outside the company's right of way, they may contact the homeowner about removing it. Neighbors say they just want this to be the last winter they're constantly experiencing power outages.
NYSEG sent this statement when asked about the power outages:
“This West Seneca neighborhood provides energy to approximately 375 NYSEG customers. On November 26, customers in this community lost power during a storm due to fallen ash trees located outside of the Company’s right of way. We cannot trim on property that isn’t ours. Fallen trees account for more than half of outages across NYSEG territory. This neighborhood had multiple outages because of dead trees. Dead trees in this community are caused, in part, by the emerald ash borer beetle, which has also affected other communities across New York. In 2023, these circuits in West Seneca were trimmed as part of the Company’s reclamation program, which aims to improve energy reliability by mitigating severe and unabated tree encroachment. NYSEG and RG&E aim to further strengthen reliability by investing $525 million in vegetation management and proposing a system-wide 6-year cycle trim as part of the ”Powering New York” proposal.”
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