{"id":85108,"date":"2025-12-30T23:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/85108\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T23:43:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:43:09","slug":"after-snow-power-outages-and-manhole-fires-break-out-in-brooklyn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/85108\/","title":{"rendered":"After snow, power outages and manhole fires break out in Brooklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emergency vehicles lined Smith Street near Warren Street after manhole explosions Monday morning. Photo courtesy of Dwidson Metayer<\/p>\n

BOROUGHWIDE \u2014 More than 900 Con Edison customers across Brooklyn and an equal number in Queens lost electrical power Monday, as salt and melting snow damaged underground infrastructure. By Tuesday around noon, roughly 470 customers in Brooklyn were still without power, along with 325 in Queens.<\/p>\n

Dozens of exploding manholes were reported over the weekend and into Monday. Manholes went up in flames in Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill early Monday morning, where numerous residents along Warren and Smith streets lost power.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had an electrical fire coming out of a manhole on Warren Street in front of the Lily Rose [318 Warren St.],\u201d a nearby resident who did not want her name published told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday. \u201cLooks like the flames shooting into the air have finally died down but the air is horrible. Firemen are on the scene. My lights are flickering so trying not to turn on power but will try and charge my phone now. ConEd called me around 7 a.m. to tell me they were aware of my reported outage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Con Edison cut power to multiple Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill residents for safety reasons during repairs. Power was turned back on in her Warren Street building around 5:20 p.m., the resident reported.<\/p>\n

\"FirefightersFirefighters in Monday\u2019s early-morning fog responding to the Smith Street manhole explosions. Photo courtesy of Dwidson Metayer<\/p>\n

While Boerum Hill resident Dwidson Metayer said he wasn\u2019t personally affected, he shared with the Eagle photos showing firefighters in the early-morning fog responding to the Smith Street explosions, and the soggy aftermath of the fires on the street.<\/p>\n

Cobble Hill resident Loretta, responding to this reporter\u2019s question on the Nextdoor app, said her building didn\u2019t lose power, \u201cBut I did see ConEd and\/or National Grid trucks on Court between Degraw and Sackett, and Clinton was closed off between Degraw and Kane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar issues were taking place in the Columbia Street Waterfront District. \u201cA manhole exploded on Columbia Street at Congress; smoke was pouring out and a good Samaritan was directing cars around it,\u201d reported Lisa, who lives nearby. Janet from Carroll Gardens, however, had better news. \u201cNo outages here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

By 4 p.m. Tuesday most of the Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill problems were repaired, but 252 customers in Seagate, 62 in Bushwick, 22 in Brownsville, and hundreds more were without power across Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\"TrafficTraffic cones blocked Smith Street during emergency repairs Monday morning. Photo courtesy of Dwidson Metayer<\/p>\n

Not the first of the season<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s explosions were not the first of the winter season. Ellen from Flatbush said she had received \u201cseveral notices from Citizen App regarding manhole fires\/explosions in the last few days. Most of them are in the Kensington area of Brooklyn (Church Avenue, Ocean Parkway, etc.).\u201d<\/p>\n

Leah from Flatbush told the Eagle that on Dec. 20 in front of 255 Ocean Ave, \u201cIt was insane, no gas or power all day, I thought a car was on fire, but it was just parked over the sewer grate. Scary.\u201c<\/p>\n

And Maggie from Fort Greene reported a manhole explosion \u201ca few weeks ago\u201d on Hansen Place, around 4 or 5 a.m. \u201cI happened to be awake, and it was incredibly loud and scary. (I\u2019m blocks away at Lafayette and South Oxford for reference.) It sounded like a bomb went off. I was thinking it was lucky that it didn\u2019t happen when more people were out and about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salt and snow, says ConEd<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing winter storms like the one we just experienced, our electric delivery equipment is impacted by the effects of melting snow and street salt that enters our underground infrastructure,\u201d a ConEd spokesperson told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday. \u201cSalt water\u00a0is corrosive and can damage cable connections, sometimes resulting in\u00a0smoking or fire conditions.\u00a0Our crews continue to work to make repairs and restore service as quickly and safely as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She added that ConEd prepares in advance for bad weather and makes \u201crobust infrastructure investments\u201d to provide reliable service.<\/p>\n

The Fire Department of New York warns that manhole fires generate carbon monoxide<\/a>, a colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic gas which may result in an explosion. \u201cIf you see a manhole that is smoking, don\u2019t hesitate to call 911 right away,\u201d said FDNY Lieutenant Tom McGarry in a public service announcement. \u201cAnd remember to have a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector in your home,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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