On Tuesday, April 19, a Nor’easter descended on the Twin Tiers, dumping over a foot of snow in some areas and wreaking havoc through the region as the weight of the snow snapped branches and completely uprooted trees.

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Many parts of the Southern Tier looked as though a tornado had blown through with power lines left dangling and debris from trees left scattered everywhere leaving thousands in the cold and dark, many for four and even five days.

So many residents were left feeling helpless as they did their best to salvage fresh foods by burying things like milk and meat in the snow and yet, the loss of food was felt by many who weren’t able to save the things they’d spent their hard-earned money on.

People began turning to social media to ask for advice on what to do, and how to get help to replenish what had been lost. Some suggested reaching out to homeowners or renters’ insurance to see if a claim could be made to recoup some of the lost funds while others suggested submitting a claim to the electric company.

NYSEG is the big power provider for most in the Southern Tier and they addressed the suggestion of some regarding filing a claim. According to NYSEG, in order to evaluate the loss, they must consider whether or not the company itself acted in a way that caused the loss. In the event of a Nor'easter dropping heavy snow and causing massive power outages, that would fall outside of the realm of NYSEG being the source of the issue.

NYSEG suggested that the best option for anyone seeking damages as a direct result of the April Nor’easter would be to file a claim through their own insurance company. NYSEG notes, “In general, we are not responsible for damages that are caused by your use of electricity on your premises, or that are the result of forces beyond our control.”

NYSEG points out that in almost every case, the company itself is not responsible for power outages that are a result of “weather-related conditions (such as lightning, extreme storms, hail or wind) or other acts of nature, or accidents beyond our control.

Note that it is highly unlikely that should you file a claim against NYSEG seeking damages as a result of lost power you will receive compensation, you can certainly fill out the Property and Casualty Claim Form and the company will do a full investigation.

If you lost all of your groceries and aren't able to file a claim with your insurance and don't have the means to buy food, please do not hesitate to reach out to the CHOW Warehouse by calling 607-724-9130 and a representative will direct you to a nearby food pantry.

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