BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Heavy rain and strong winds overnight caused some to wake up without power Sunday morning.
According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz NYSEG lost three substations due to weather last night, mostly in Hamburg, which left nearly 27,000 people without power until early Sunday afternoon.
Update from @NYSEandG on power outages: NYSEG lost 3 substations due to the weather last night, mostly in Hamburg, of the 15346 currently out, 10821 will be restored within the next 15 minutes. We are still working on restoring the remaining 4280.
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) March 10, 2019
Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling on the Department of Public Service to investigate those three damaged substations.
"Once again Mother Nature has given us another test, and while we have made much progress we are taking additional actions to help communities restore power and assist those impacted by the storm," Governor Cuomo said. "Given the number of outages, I have directed the Department of Public Service to investigate the utilities' preparations and response to the storms. We also ensured the utilities have deployed additional resources into the region from across the State, and we will continue to aggressively respond in the community until the recovery is complete."
The Governor's Office released tips related to wind events, read them below:
If you are without power:
• Call your utility first to determine area repair schedules. Turn off or unplug lights and appliances to prevent a circuit overload when service is restored. Leave one light on to indicate power has been restored. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to help reduce food spoilage.
• If you have space in your refrigerator or freezer, fill plastic containers with water, leaving an inch of space inside each one. This will help keep food cold.
If you need to use a generator:
• Before installing a generator, be sure to properly disconnect from your utility electrical service. If possible, have your generator installed by a qualified electrician. Run generators outside, downwind of structures. Never run a generator indoors. Deadly carbon monoxide gas from the generator's exhaust can spread throughout enclosed spaces.
• Fuel spilled on a hot generator can cause an explosion. If your generator has a detachable fuel tank remove it before refilling. If this is not possible, shut off the generator and let it cool before refilling.
• Do not exceed the rated capacity of your generator. Most small, home-use portable generators produce 350 to 12,000 watts of power. Overloading your generator can damage it and appliances connected to it, and may cause a fire. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Keep children away from generators at all times.
Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:
• Do not operate generators indoors; the motor emits deadly carbon monoxide gas. Do not use charcoal to cook indoors. It, too, can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide gas.
• Do not use your gas oven to heat your home -- prolonged use of an open oven in a closed house can create carbon monoxide gas.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm.
To view the latest NYSEG outage information click here, to view the latest National Grid outage information click here.
