Steam Release At UES Con Ed Facility Spooks Neighbors

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A loud rumbling noise and what appeared to be smoke emanating from the Con Edison facility on the Upper East Side had some neighborhood residents concerned about an explosion Monday night.

After area residents sounded the alarm on social media, the utility company, the FDNY and the local police precinct determined the noise was a massive, unplanned steam release. The NYPD's 19th precinct announced around 11:15 p.m. that Upper East Sider's had "NOTHING to be alarmed about."

Some Upper East Siders likened Monday night's steam release to a recent fire at a Con Edison facility in Queens that captured the city's attention by shooting a pulsating blue light into the sky.

"Last week the flashing lights. This week, a rumbling that just wouldn’t stop and smoke from what looks like the UES Con-Ed site. What’s up in NYC now?" an area resident wrote on Twitter with a video showing a plume of steam shooting from the Upper East Side facility.

Con Edison stated that when a large amount of steam is released to depressurize a facility, a loud rumbling sound is "normal." The utility company responded with apologies to a number of residents who took to social media to complain about the late-night disturbance, and said that unplanned steam releases are "necessary from time to time."

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