Update (5:25 p.m.): The City of Ithaca has disclosed more information regarding the power outages impacting over 2,000 people in the city of Ithaca.
Two fires on Tuesday have knocked out power to large parts of the city. A fire on a utility pole caused power outages around the Southwest part of the city near Route 13 and on South Hill. Additionally, downed power lines started a fire in the Floral and Elm Street area, and the city is telling the public to avoid the area.
Traffic in the city is further complicated by the fact that a traffic light has been malfunctioning at the intersection of Dey Street and Route 13. NYSEG is on that scene, though the situation is unrelated to the fires elsewhere.
Original story:
ITHACA, N.Y.—Following a thunderstorm on Monday night and more rain Tuesday, NYSEG reported a power outage on Tuesday that affected 2,045 residents of Danby, Dryden and both the Town and City of Ithaca at the time of writing. The cause of the outage is under investigation.
There are no other reports of an outage in Tompkins County at this time. The outage is expected to be resolved by 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Large parts of the city are being impacted, including a swath of Route 13 where the big-box retail stores are located. A SIREN alert stated that NYSEG would be shutting down power in “the south end of Ithaca” due to a transformer fire and a pole replacement, and that drivers should treat every intersection like a four-way stop because traffic lights will be out of power.
Titus Towers, a polling location for Tuesday’s primary elections in Ithaca, is affected by the outage. However, Alanna Congdon, the Republican commissioner for the Tompkins County Board of Elections, said a backup generator is providing power to the poll site and that operations have not been affected. It is unclear if other polling locations.
Jonathan Mong is a reporter from The Cornell Daily Sun working on The Sun’s summer fellowship at The Ithaca Voice.