Last night was just a "normal" night in my house as my husband and I settled in on our comfy couch in the living room with the dog and cat snuggled close, when it all went completely black. It's funny how you can be aware of what's going on outdoors with the weather, receive the weather alert warnings, and still, it's always a surprise when the power goes out.

Well, the power did come back within a minute but throughout the evening it flickered on and off several times at my house. I remember thinking how fantastic and handy it is to have a flashlight on my cell phone which was right at hand.

It seems many Oneonta residents, along with those in West Oneonta and Laurens, did not fair as well as my husband and I did in Oneonta. Many, remain without power this morning.

That is also the case in neighboring Chenango and Delaware Counties. Here's the breakdown from NYSEG at 9:00 am:

RESIDENTS CURRENTLY WITHOUT POWER IN CHENANGO COUNTY: 1,191

RESIDENTS CURRENTLY WITHOUT POWER IN DELAWARE COUNTY: 1,699

RESIDENTS CURRENTLY WITHOUT POWER IN OTSEGO COUNTY: 2,489

If you are without power, it is very important to report it to your utility company so they can address it. You can't assume they already know, even if you have neighbors around you without power who you think "probably" reported a power outage.

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For example, if you are a NYSEG customer, you can use your cell phone to either report an outage on their website, just CLICK HERE. Once you do that, they can provide you with an estimate of how long it will be until your power gets restored. You'll need your phone number or account number to complete reporting an outage.

Reporting an electrical emergency is a different thing altogether. That occurs when a tree or branch falls on a power line. Anything, that compromises a power line or utility pole with power lines should be called into NYSEG at 800-572-1131. For natural gas emergencies, you would call 800-572-1121.

To keep track of NYSEG's progress in restoring power in your town or area, visit www.nyseg.com.

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