Central Hudson Works Feverishly to Restore Power in Ulster County

An ice storm that ripped through the Hudson Valley, had an intense impact on Ulster County.

Back on Friday, February 4th, an ice storm wreaked havoc on parts of the Hudson Valley. Ulster County seemed to get the brunt of the storm. On Saturday morning, following the storm, Ulster County Fire/Rescue Incidents on Facebook wrote:

Yesterday our area saw a winter storm that wreaked utter chaos on our area. 911 and our emergency responders handled countless emergencies from the very early morning all the way into the late night. Thanks to the efforts of so many, these emergencies were handled with ease.

Central Hudson's Work Continues

The ice and freezing rain caused many downed lines, leaving over 50,000 people in Ulster County without power. Central Hudson has provided a storm and power update, writing on Sunday night:

Power has been restored to more than 48,000 homes and businesses since Friday morning, primarily in hard-hit Ulster County. We are working to refine estimated times of restoration on a municipal level.

While many are finally getting power back, harder-hit areas are still without power and may take an additional 24 hours. According to Central Hudson:

Areas that have been the most heavily impacted could see restoration efforts extend into Tuesday evening. Central Hudson will conduct targeted outreach to customers in these area

As of Sunday night, there are still 670 locations still without power.

State of Emergency Declared

As the dangerous weather continued by mid-afternoon on Friday, Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan declared the State of Emergency. New York's Govrorner Kathy Hochul said in a statement back on Friday:

Ulster County has received the brunt of this winter storm's severe effects in the form of heavy ice and snow accumulation that crippled roadways and cut power to tens of thousands of residents in the Mid-Hudson Region.

Gov. Hochul also deployed 24 National Guard members to assist with clean-up and recovery operations in Ulster. 24/7 warming centers were also set up and are still available for those without power.

Own a Glacial Lake in the Hudson Valley

DeWitt lake in Kingston New York is the last in a line of glacial lakes that includes Awosting, Minnewaska, and Mohonk. This jewel of a lake makes up 8 of 41 Acres that could be yours including two modern cabins and a spot for a larger house to be built. A piece of property like this in the Hudson Valley is one of a kind and at $3.3 million it is also a steal.

How To Make Homemade De-Icer

Now that Winter is in full force, you can keep your sidewalks nice and ice free with this simple homemade de-icer.

Pretty Cool: Building the Saranac Lake Ice Palace for Their Annual Winter Carnival

Check out what goes into building the beautiful ice palace in Saranac Lake for their Winter Carnival. It is quite the process and done completely by volunteers and members of IPW-Local 101. You can enjoy all that the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has to offer through February 13th. The Ice Palace will be ready on February 5th.

11 Stunning Photos of the Hudson Valley in the Winter

Check out the beauty of the Hudson Valley

In 2019 Ice Jams Caused Boats to Break Free in the Hudson River [PHOTOS]

This is one of those famous moments in Capital Region history where you probably remember where you were when it happened. On the morning of Friday, January 25, 2019 at least six boats broke free in the in the Hudson River between Troy and Albany. Since it was January, all the boats were unmanned at the time, so they were at the mercy of the river current and the ice.

There had been some strange weather developing over the previous few days and ice jams formed enough to wreak havoc on the Hudson River from Troy to Albany. Several boats became dislodged starting in Troy, eventually moving down the river where many hit the Livingston Avenue bridge, which carries trains over the Hudson between Albany and Rensselaer.

One of the boats that broke free that morning was the Captain JP Cruise ship, a four level vessel and popular summer party spot. It hit the bridge and was lodged there for quite a while as crews worked to free it. There was some damage, but it was able to be repaired in time for summer.

At least six other boats were pushed down the river including the Rusty Anchor Restaurant as well as some barges and tugboats.

Several bridges were closed due to safety concerns, including the Patroon Island Bridge, which carries I-90 over the Hudson connecting Albany and Rensselaer Counties. Rescue crews with tugboats were on the scene quickly from the port of Albany to stop the runaway boats.