All of NYC asked to conserve power as extreme heat causes outages in Tri-State Area
With Tuesday's extreme heat straining power systems and causing problems around the Tri-State Area, all of New York City is being asked to conserve power.
Gov. Kathy Hochul released the following statement:
"Since the beginning of this week's extreme heat, we've been carefully monitoring our electrical grid to protect New Yorkers. Earlier this evening the New York Independent System Operator warned that we are approaching peak capacity in the downstate region and it is critical to conserve electricity between now and 10 p.m. That means setting window air conditioning units to 76 degrees and avoiding unnecessary appliance use," Hochul said. "At the same time, it's critical to stay safe in this dangerous heat: find a cooling center near you, especially if you're a senior citizen or have health concerns. Working together, we can easily get through this critical period."
New York City's emergency notification system put out an from Con Edison asking New Yorkers to limit their usage.
"Use air conditioners at highest comfortable temperature. Limit use of appliances during peak hours," the Notify NYC alert said.
The latest on power outages
As of 7:40 p.m. Tuesday:
- Con Ed reported 6,386 customers out of service in New York City and Westchester
- PSE&G reported 9,664 customers without power in New Jersey
- JCP&L reported 14,373 customers without power in New Jersey
- PSEG LI reported 4,429 customers without power on Long Island
"We have multiple networks across our grid, and conservation helps reduce stress within each one," Con Ed said Tuesday afternoon in a to social media. "By working with all our customers to cut usage during peak demand, we protect the system and support neighborhoods individually. We're committed to keeping everyone safe and comfortable during the region's hottest days!"
Tuesday evening, Con Edison reduced voltage by 8% in certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens in a bid to maintain service and protect equipment, impacting 150,200 customers. The impacted neighborhoods in Queens were parts of Broad Channel, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Kew Gardens and in Brooklyn, parts of of East New York, Cypress Hills, Highland Park and City Line.
Over at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, some patients' family members were moving loved ones out of what they say were overheated patient rooms and hallways.
"We had to come get her out to get her to a different hospital. They're not taking care of her as they should be," John Martinez said of the conditions his grandmother was forced to deal with inside the hospital.
Brookdale Hospital released a statement to CBS News New York that reads, in part, "We have been working diligently to maintain full functionality of our hospital cooling system. In the interim, we have implemented a series of measures, including fans, portable air conditioning units, and enhanced monitoring."
New Jersey outage leaves hundreds in the dark
In New Jersey, nearly 200 people were still without power Tuesday afternoon following an outage that started Monday afternoon in Clark. PSE&G said those customers are expected to be back in service between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
At the height of the outage in Clark, more than 1,500 people were without power.
Joel Schwartz and dozens of other residents in his Walnut Avenue building are trying to cope with the heat in dark apartments. He had to use candles for light inside his unit Monday night, and he was forced to toss some of the food in his refrigerator.
"I've been in the car a lot, driving around, trying to go to stores with air conditioning," Schwartz said.
Many people were also left without cellphone service.
"Our cell phones don't work in the apartment," Clark resident Christine Piatkowski said. "It's kind of a safety issue. Last night, the hallways, there was the emergency lights and the red emergency exits, and they're all out now."
Some businesses, including a Dairy Queen and a QuickCheck on Westfield Avenue, were closed. Some streetlights were out, including one near a large strip mall in town.
"I was in ShopRite and I was in the ladies room, and it all went pitch black," Clark resident Ann Yamakitis said. "It affected the phones. On Westfield Avenue, there's a Dunkin' Donuts, a 7/11, all that strip mall is out."
The outage left many people unable to use their devices.
