Storm Knocks Out Tens of Thousands Across Northeast

A powerful coastal/wind storm across the Northeast knocked out power for tens of thousands of customers. Central Hudson reported about 6,500 outages in the Hudson Valley (Ulster 3,505; Greene 1,685; Dutchess 479; Sullivan 269) with nearly 275 active damage locations and restorations expected through the day and into Sunday for the hardest-hit areas. New England utilities reported over 20,000 outages overall, with New Hampshire hardest hit — about 11,576 outages were reported early Friday and roughly 15,000 customers affected as conditions evolved — and Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island also seeing thousands of outages. In the Lehigh Valley, PPL reported about 1,362 outages (concentrated in Salisbury Township) and roughly 500 outages in Northampton County while FirstEnergy reported about 65; the region was under a wind advisory with gusts up to 50 mph. Utilities have mobilized mutual-assistance crews (Central Hudson secured 140 additional line workers) and urged safety precautions including staying at least 30 feet from downed lines, operating generators outdoors, preserving food by keeping refrigerators closed, and reporting outages via apps/text/phone.