Each winter brings strong winds, snow and ice that can wreak havoc on the city’s power supply.
“Overwhelmingly what we’re doing is making sure we have strong plans and strong mobilization plans so we have people ready to go in the streets, responding to any event that happens this winter,” said Patrick McHugh, senior vice president of electric operations at Con Edison.
When emergencies arise, Con Edison deploys crews from its control centers — including its Manhattan Control Center, which tracks which power hubs are down.
High winds can damage power lines — the above-ground systems that make up less than 20% of the utility's electrical network.
Much of that infrastructure is in Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Most of the grid is protected from the wind because it’s underground. T