Dutchess Officials Issue Advisory To Residents Amid Storm Aftermath

Tens of thousands of Dutchess County residents remain without power late on Wednesday afternoon as crews continue recovery efforts in one of the regions hit hardest by Tuesday’s storm, which ripped trees from the ground, felled utility poles and downed power lines throughout the Hudson Valley.

A roof was torn off of a structure on Liberty Street between Washington Street and Grand Avenue in the City of Newburgh. The debris tore down power lines and knocked down a tree.
Photo Credit: *Central Hudson*

An aerial view of some of the damage caused by Tuesday's storm in southern Dutchess County.
Photo Credit: *Dutchess County Government*

A downed tree.
Photo Credit: *Central Hudson*

Zak Failla

05/16/2018 6:29 p.m.

On Wednesday, Dutchess officials took an aerial tour of the wreckage in the southern part of the county, which was particularly impacted, prompting County Executive Marc Molinaro to caution residents that “there is a lot of work ahead.” As of 5:15 p.m., 50,000 residents were still without power, despite officials’ best efforts.

An official time of restoration is expected later on Wednesday night.

According to officials, more than 175 tree personnel, 265 line crew - including mutual aid - are currently working in Dutchess, with more than 215 additional line personnel arriving from other areas throughout the day. It is anticipated they will be working around the clock throughout the week.

Officials noted that Fishkill was hit particularly hard, where more than 40 utility poles were reported as broken.

“Work has been concentrated on emergency situations, including reopening roads and getting traffic signals back on. The majority of traffic signals along Route 9 have been restored, with the exception of Old Hopewell Rd which is being addressed. There are numerous critical facilities that are also being addressed including water and wastewater facilities and schools in Beacon and Wappinger school districts.”

Dry ice distribution is expected to begin on Thursday, and volunteers from the Mid-Hudson Valley chapter of the American Red Cross are at Town Hall in Fishkill to assist those most impacted by the storm. Residents who have lost power or experienced extensive structural damage can contact volunteers by calling 1-800-831-0927

Dutchess was one of four Hudson Valley counties where New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday.

"New York has once again withstood the fury of Mother Nature and now is the time for the state and our local partners to get communities throughout the Mid-Hudson region up and running again," Cuomo said. "Driving and accessing roadways may still be difficult and I encourage all drivers to stay off the roads in order for our crews to get our roadways clear and safe as soon as possible."

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