Power restored to thousands across upstate NY amid heat wave

Storms that moved through upstate New York late Thursday knocked out power across four counties during a dangerous heat wave, briefly leaving thousands of customers without electricity.

By Friday morning, utilities were still reporting major outages. Times Union reported that more than 10,000 National Grid customers were without power, along with nearly 4,900 NYSEG customers in Columbia County and about 800 Central Hudson customers in Greene County.

The outages spread across Essex, Greene, Warren and Columbia counties, adding another layer of strain to a region already under an extreme heat warning. Temperatures were in the upper 90s, with heat indices around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

By Friday afternoon, most service had been restored. The remaining outages were concentrated in Columbia County, where about 2,700 customers still lacked electricity, mostly in and around Chatham.

Storm damage and restoration

The storm damage came during what local officials and utilities were already treating as a high-risk weather stretch. Times Union said it was at least the second time that week that widespread storms had knocked out power in the region.

That made restoration more urgent than a typical outage event. Residents were dealing with the loss of air conditioning in extreme heat, while utility crews worked through damaged lines and scattered outage pockets.

The local response also had to contend with downed wires. According to the reporting, some of those wires sparked small fires, increasing immediate public-safety concerns in the affected areas.

The outage pattern showed a mix of utility impacts rather than a single isolated failure. National Grid, NYSEG and Central Hudson all had customers affected, and the heaviest remaining impact by Friday afternoon was centered in Columbia County.

Chatham under emergency measures

The village of Chatham was among the hardest-hit areas. Mayor John Howe declared a village-wide state of emergency because of the severe storm damage.

Officials also asked residents to conserve water while first responders assessed damage and crews worked to clear the hazards and restore service. The request reflected the overlap of public-safety needs: electricity, water use and emergency response were all under pressure at the same time.

Chatham's situation was especially sensitive because the remaining outages were still concentrated nearby even after most power had come back elsewhere. The village's emergency posture signaled that crews were still managing active damage, not just repairing a routine utility interruption.

What comes next

The main open question was how quickly NYSEG could fully restore the last Columbia County customers, especially those around Chatham. Local officials also could update the state of emergency if outages lingered.

The broader heat wave remained part of the story as crews worked. Dangerous temperatures increased the risks for residents without electricity and kept pressure on local emergency operations while the final outages were addressed.