PSEG Long Island Continues to Prep for Upcoming Weather

LongIsland.com

With rain and winds expected Thursday into Friday and Hurricane Joaquin heading to the Northeast, PSEG Long Island is completing its pre-storm preparation and preparing for possible outages.

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Uniondale, NY - October 1, 2015 - With rain and winds expected Thursday into Friday and Hurricane Joaquin heading to the Northeast, PSEG Long Island is completing its pre-storm preparation and preparing for possible outages.

Crews will be on-hand to address any outages associated with the possible rain and wind this weekend. Anticipating that Hurricane Joaquin could hit Long Island with intensity across the island, PSEG Long Island will pre-position resources over the weekend to begin electric service restoration as soon as the storm passes.

PSEG Long Island is seeking mutual assistance with its restoration efforts from electric utilities outside of the metropolitan area. Additional electric contractors are also being organized to complement the PSEG Long Island crews available to restore electric service.

“After the many lessons learned from Sandy, we have made significant improvements to substations, the electric transmission and distribution system, the outage management system and our customer service technology, as well as our internal communications and emergency planning and execution,” said John O’Connell, vice president of transmission and distribution for PSEG Long Island. “While the track of Joaquin remains uncertain, we are preparing for the worst case scenario.”

To help minimize storm damage to Long Island’s electric system, PSEG Long Island has implemented an aggressive tree trimming program throughout the year to identify and trim tree limbs in rights of way and along easements that could potentially cause outages during or after a storm.

PSEG Long Island is inspecting and fortifying low elevation substations to prepare for the possibility of flooding.

PSEG Long Island is reviewing and ready to enact the flood restoration protocol which includes procedures and coordination with towns and villages for customers impacted by flooding.

Prepare for a storm:

  • Ensure you have a battery-powered radio and fresh batteries.
  • Check your supply of flashlights, blankets, nonperishable food and bottled water.
  • Create an emergency communications plan
  • Develop an evacuation plan
  • Charge your cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
  • Make sure to have cash available. Banks may be closed or inaccessible after a storm.
  • Fill up your car’s fuel tank.
  • Bring in unsecured objects and furniture from patios and balconies.
  • Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSEG Long Island’s Electric Service line 1-800-490-0075.
  • Discuss storm and lightning safety with your family.

Stay in touch and stay informed:
PSEG Long Island offers several ways for customers to stay in touch during an emergency:

  • To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSEG Long Island’s Electric Service line at 1-800-490-0075.
  • Register your phone for outage reporting and updates by texting “REG” to PSEGLI (773454). Once registered, report power outages by texting “OUT” to PSEGLI (773454)
  • Check for updates using our outage map.
  • Follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for restoration progress. Do not report outages through our social media pages.
  • Make sure everyone in the family is prepared and knows what to do if there is an emergency. Please visit here to learn about the PSEG and Sesame Street App “Let’s Get Ready: Planning Together for Emergencies”.
  • Watch our YouTube videos here for tips on how to prepare your family and how power is restored after a storm.

PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of approximately $11 billion.