Power out for thousands in north country as wind storm wreaks havoc

WATERTOWN — Strong winds wreaked havoc and cut power for thousands in the north country overnight as storm systems swept through the area with wind gusts as high as 78 mph being recorded in Watertown.

As of nearly 1 p.m. National Grid reported that 10,181 of 15,684 customers in Watertown remain without power.

Most schools in Jefferson County, where power is reported out for nearly 30,000 National Grid customers, are closed Wednesday, along with Copenhagen Central Schools in Lewis County.

Many other schools in Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties are operating on a two-hour delay.

Jefferson County Sheriff Peter R. Barnett issued a travel advisory for the county, noting that many roads are littered with debris and some closed due to downed power lines and trees.

Samaritan Medical Center said some of its locations are running on generator power.

The hospital’s Walker Center for Cancer Care is similarly without power and appointments are being delayed. Samaritan is asking patients to not come in for scheduled appointments Wednesday until they are called by a team member. The center’s phone systems are not fully operational and patients will need to wait for a call.

About 4,000 National Grid customers in the city remain without power this morning after Tuesday night’s windstorm that blew into the area, according to an update issued Wednesday morning by Mayor Sarah V. Compo Pierce.

Other information that the mayor shared in a press release includes:

— At this time, National Grid is in the damage assessment phase, and should be fully transitioning to power restoration efforts within the next several hours.

— City Public Works crews are in the process of clearing debris from streets.

— At this time, all critical city infrastructure is operational.

— Damage to homes is a concern and the city is in the process of connecting any residents who may be displaced with shelter.

— At this time, CitiBus services are paused. The reestablishment of bus transit is dependent on traffic light restoration and cleared roads.

— As it works to recover from last night’s storm, city staff are concurrently preparing for potential significant snowfall beginning this afternoon and lasting throughout the next couple days.

— From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., National Grid will be distributing water and dry ice for those residents without power at the CitiBus garage, 544 Newell Street, Watertown.

Compo Pierce said in a statement that she would like to extend her thanks, on behalf of the entire City Council, to city staff and emergency crews that are aiding in recovery efforts following last night’s storm. Additionally, she reminded the public to exercise caution if they are traveling on city streets, as the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has issued a travel advisory for the entire county. The public should be aware of the likelihood of downed trees, wires and other debris on roadways.

Emergency dispatchers in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties spent Tuesday night assigning responders to downed trees and wires, vehicle collisions, fires and arcing power lines in Gouverneur across Route 11, the major U.S. artery that runs north-south through the region.

First responders in Gouverneur and the surrounding areas were dispatched to Route 11 near the Somerville Road intersection shortly after 10:30 p.m. for live power lines down. Responders closed the stretch of Route 11 in both directions between Quarry Road and County Route 9 at about 11 p.m. About 6 miles north in Richville, damaged utility poles and trees blocking County Route 20 were reported. More trees were down farther north in Potsdam, Parishville and Hannawa Falls and several other municipalities, and a transformer was on fire near the Stockholm town barn, according to central dispatch reports.

As of 11 p.m., National Grid’s power outage map showed more than 28,000 customers in Jefferson County without power, about half of the utility’s service in the county. By 6:30 a.m., the utility was reporting about 29,000 outages, including much of the city of Watertown.

Outages were logged for more than 7,700 customers Tuesday night in St. Lawrence County, 4,400 in Oswego County, 2,600 in Lewis County and 2,000 in Franklin County.

The Watertown International Airport reported a 78-mph wind gust Tuesday evening. The intense gust falls into the range for a Category 1 hurricane, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Other strong gusts in New York were reported in Dunkirk (74 mph), Penn Yan (72 mph), Buffalo (70 mph) and Belleville (70 mph).

Storm safety information from National Grid:

— Consider all downed wires to be energized and dangerous. This includes telephone, fiber optic, and cable TV wires. They may be in contact with energized electric wires that are not within your view. — Never operate a generator indoors.

— If an outage occurs, disconnect sensitive appliances. To avoid potential power surge damage when electricity is restored, unplug computers, televisions and microwaves.

— Leave a light switch on to signal when the power comes back on.

— Remember frozen foods will keep about 24 hours. Food will stay fresh six to nine hours in a refrigerator before spoiling.

— Consider checking on others who may benefit from your assistance.

— Consult an electrician if your home has flooded. Don’t turn anything on until a professional has checked.

— Keep warm, but burn only wood or newspapers in your fireplace or woodstove.

— Consider moving to an alternate location. This may be a good idea if you anticipate an extended outage, especially for those with family members with special needs.

— If you must use a portable space heater, do so safely. Check to make sure it has an Underwriters Laboratories safety label and an automatic shutoff device that turns the heater off if it tips over or becomes too hot. Periodically check nearby objects to see if they feel hot.