Chehaw offering break from cold weather for families without power

ALBANY — In the wake of a powerful storm system that hit the area late Monday and Tuesday and left many in the community facing subfreezing weather this weekend with no electricity, an Albany area attraction is offering respite to families impacted.

Chehaw officials said the attraction’s Creekside Education Center will be open to park guests from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for any families who would like a break from the cold.

The heat will be on, children’s movies will be playing, WiFi is available and there will be some family-friendly activities for kids throughout the day. Zoo admission will be half-price: $3.93 for adults, $2.55 for children ages 4-12, and free for kids ages 3 and under.

For those looking for a distraction from the devastation in the community, the annual Frontier Festival will be going on all weekend and is free with park admission. Adults will be expected to make sure children are supervised.

Anyone in need is encouraged to come by, and those with friends and family in need are urged to spread the word so the thousands displaced due to damage or lack of power have a warm, friendly place to get out of the cold.

An update provided by Albany officials on Thursday morning showed that the estimated restoration of power to areas of the city that have been without electricity since Monday night, due to significant damage to six of the city’s substations, would take longer than had been initially anticipated.

Officials had hoped to have it back up before subfreezing temperatures hit late Saturday. Estimated repair time to the damaged power substations will likely range from one to 14 days, city leaders said Thursday.

The storm damage inside the city limits was caused by straight-line winds reaching speeds of up to 85 mph. The National Weather Service is forecasting lows of 26 Saturday night and 25 Sunday night, with winds further dropping the apparent temperatures to the low 20s and possibly the high teens.