About 1,559 Con Edison customers in Jackson Heights woke up Friday to a sudden, “temporary” power shutoff that cut electricity to apartments and businesses right in the middle of a city heat advisory, with heat‑index readings pushing close to 100°F. The move followed an earlier step to dial down voltage across parts of central Queens while crews worked on equipment, a tactic city officials and the utility said was meant to head off even longer, more widespread outages while repairs were underway.
What Con Edison said
Con Edison described the shutdown as a preventive measure and said it had reduced voltage by about 8% across a broad slice of central Queens while crews finished repairs, according to Con Edison. The affected area was roughly bounded by the East River, 45th Avenue and the Long Island Rail Road, the Brooklyn‑Queens Expressway and the Grand Central Parkway. The company urged residents to hold off on using heavy‑duty appliances like washers, dryers and air conditioners as much as possible until the work was complete, and pointed customers to its outage map and reporting tools for the latest on when service would come back.
On the ground in Jackson Heights
Local reporting put the outage count at about 1,559 customers and noted that Con Edison expected power to be restored Friday morning after crews worked through the night, according to CBS News New York. Video from the neighborhood showed residents relying on handheld fans and any stray breeze they could find as the sticky, humid morning dragged on. For households that depend on air conditioning to manage medical conditions, the loss of power added another layer of risk to already dangerous heat.
Where to cool off
City officials reminded New Yorkers that cooling centers and other “cool options” are open during heat emergencies and encouraged residents to call 311 or check the city’s Cool Options map for nearby locations, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Office. A heat advisory from the National Weather Service called for heat‑index values near 100°F in many inland parts of the city. Officials urged New Yorkers to check on older adults, people with chronic health conditions and anyone living alone, stay hydrated and head for air‑conditioned spaces at the first sign of heat illness symptoms.
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