Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy: Preparation, Impact, and Response by The Consolidated Edison Company of New York

The Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) supplies electric, gas, and steam to the 5 boroughs of New York City, and electric and gas to most of Westchester County. Its sister company, Orange and Rockland Utility supplies electric and gas to Orange and Rockland counties in New York, Bergen and Passaic counties in New Jersey, and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

Post-tropical cyclone Sandy was the most impactful storm the company has ever experienced in its 180 year history. Strong winds throughout the service territory and unprecedented storm surge flooding in lower Manhattan knocked out power to over 1 million customers. Steam and gas service were interrupted by the record flooding in lower Manhattan. The restoration effort took 2 weeks and was hampered by a snowstorm one week into the recovery.

This presentation will take a look at how the company utilized weather information disseminated by its meteorologists to aid preparation, impact assessments, and response efforts. It will also discuss the new demands and expectations that will be required from the meteorological community to better prepare and mitigate the impacts from severe coastal storms or tropical systems in the future.