Towns declare emergency after storm

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Essex County crew cleaning up one of several trees that blocked County Rd. 7 (Lincoln Pond Road) near Elizabethtown. Alvin Reiner

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January 10, 2008

By LOIS CLERMONT The Press Republican Thu Jan 10, 2008, 02:50 PM EST

UPDATED: 3 P.M.

JAY — The towns of Jay and Black Brook have declared states of emergency as a result of Wednesday’s wind-storm damage.

Town of Jay Supervisor Randall T. Douglas made the decision Wednesday night after consultation with the Town of Jay Disaster Executive Committee and Essex County Emergency Services Director Ray Thatcher.

The state of emergency was declared to help emergency personnel and town crews address the numerous power lines and trees down throughout the town.

“I have been in constant contact with NYSEG spokesperson Amy Kennedy ... for periodic updates on the status of the Town of Jay’s power outages,” Douglas said in a news release.

New York State Electric & Gas has assured Jay officials they are hard at work on the problem. The company has called in crews from throughout the northeast region to assist with damage caused by high winds.

“We had an emergency situation in the AuSable Acres at approximately 7:30 p.m., in which a woman was trapped in her vehicle with two small children, with power lines surrounding her,” he said.

“These situations ultimately led to our decision to declare a state of emergency.”

The declaration will remain in effect until further notice and is designed to restrict all unnecessary travel.

As of 9 p.m., NYSEG said, more than 300 people were without power in Jay.

Black Brook Town Supervisor Rick Nolan also declared a state of emergency, due to numerous road closures as a result of wind damage and 500 residents without power. National Grid had 13 crews working last night and 45 new crews from downstate will arrive today to assist in restoring power.

“It is better to be cautious and restrict all unnecessary travel in order for work crews to address the numerous downed power lines and trees,” Nolan said in a statement.

Water from Black Brook Water District 2 must be boiled to ensure safety. This directive is to remain in effect until the Health Department has satisfactory evidence of delivery of a safe water supply.

Thursday morning, NYSEG reported that about 3,500 customers were without electric service as a result of storm damage in the company’s Plattsburgh division, which includes all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Hamilton and Franklin counties.

Many of those impacted will see their power restored today, however, due to new power interruptions caused by the severe weather and the extent of the damage –— including numerous broken poles — NYSEG expects that some customers are expected to be without power into the weekend.

NYSEG reminds people to stay far away from any downed power lines.

“Even lines that appear ‘dead’ can be deadly,” said Mark Leta, NYSEG’s manager of regional operations.

NYSEG customers should call 1-800-572-1131 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations.

Any Town of Jay resident in need of assistance is asked to call the Jay Town Office at 647-2204 or 569-3582.

AuSable Valley and Keene Central schools canceled classes Thursday.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority said Whiteface Mountain was back to normal operation after closures there Wednesday due to the storm.