Report: Mom, daughter shocked, injured by downed wires

Dyker Heights power outage hits 701 customers

August 15, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Dyker Heights is one of a handful of Brooklyn neighborhoods with overhead electrical wires. This photo was taken on 10th Avenue near 84th Street. Eagle photo by Paula Katinas

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A mother and her 18-year-old daughter received serious shocks when they were hit by electrical wires that suddenly fell to the ground in front of their Dyker Heights home early Tuesday morning, according to CBS2 News.

The incident took place shortly after 4 a.m. on 83rd Street between 10th and 11th avenues, CBS2 News reported.

The two women were rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, formerly known as NYU Lutheran Medical Center. At press time, there was no word on their condition.

Con Edison is investigating to determine why the electrical wires suddenly collapsed, local officials said.

The downed wires started a chain reaction that caused an electrical power outage affecting 701 Con Edison customers in Dyker Heights, according to Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann.

The area affected by the power outage stretched from 10th Avenue to 13th Avenue and between 78th and 85th streets, Beckmann said.

The term “customer” refers to the person listed on the Con Edison bill. Even if more than one person lives in a house, the home is still considered to be one customer. This means that it is likely that the power outage hit far more than 701 residents.

The New York City Office of Emergency Management estimates that the number of people living in the area where the power outage took place is slightly more than 2,100, Beckmann said.

Beckmann, who lives a short distance away, said she noticed something wrong with her electricity, too. “My lights were dimming on and off,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle.

Con Edison crews were on the scene for hours replacing the downed wires and restoring electricity to local residents.

By 8 a.m., power had been restored to all but 400 customers. Full power was restored by 12:30 p.m., Beckmann said.