Community Emergency Planning in NYC - A Toolkit for Community Leaders

POWER DISRUPTION

TRIGGER:

• Power outages that impact thousands of customers for several hours or more.

WHAT DOES THE CITY DO?

• The City monitors the status of its electrical system to assess the risks and extent of widespread disruption and notifies relevant agencies and stakeholders.

• Various agencies and utility companies coordinate efforts to reduce load levels and identify and help affected populations.

• During disruptions impacting more than 5,000 households for over 48 hours, the City may activate the Post Emergency Canvassing Operation (PECO) to survey affected areas.

DID YOU KNOW?

New York State law requires that all utility companies maintain lists of customers with a serious medical hardship and establish procedures for notifying them within 24 hours of an outage.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Check the NYC Emergency Management website and social media to find resources or call 311.

• Check in on your neighbors- If power will be out for an extended amount of time, offer to help individuals relocate to a shelter, hotel or friend or relative’s home that has power. Offer to help pick up groceries or deliver supplies. Only do so when authorities say it is safe to travel.

• Encourage individuals who use life-sustaining equipment to register with their utility provider.