11 days without power, Sandy victims want answers
CBS 12:44 p.m. ET
[quote]Eleven days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, hundreds of thousands of utility customers in New York and New Jersey are still without power - and they want answers.
Unfortunately, the answers provided by the power companies have generated even more anger and frustration.
When asked Thursday night when power may be restored, LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey told CBS Station WCBS the utility is aiming for the middle of next week. WCBS reports one spokesman suggested power may not be fully restored until Thanksgiving.
On Friday LIPA reported 163,029 customers in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the Rockaway Peninsula were still without power. That figure includes thousands who had lost power in this week's nor'easter, many of whom have had service restored. Families, the elderly and the disabled have no heat or electricity.
Customers have complained not only about the pace of work being done on Long Island but also about poor communications between LIPA and the public.
In Great Neck, many still don't have power. "Where are the boots on the ground? We keep hearing that there's added crew, there are so many people working. We're not seeing them," Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth told WCBS.
Bosworth also complained about LIPA's communication on the crisis. "They can't tell us if we'll have power in two days, in three days, in a week, in two weeks," she said.
Babylon Town Supervisor Richard Schaffer described the situation as "mass chaos."
On Friday LIPA COO Hervey said the utility lost two days of progress in the restoration because of damage and further outages caused by the nor'easter.
Wednesday's storm caused more than 120,000 outages, by Hervey said power to half of those customers has been restored.
"It was fairly devastating," Hervey said.
The utility also said it has more than 14,000 workers dedicated to the restoration effort, including more than 8,200 field crews from across the country and Canada - and another 1,200 linemen are expected to join the effort today.
Many Long Islanders went to the Island Park FEMA Center Thursday night for food and supplies, but Elyse Schwartz of Oceanside told WCBS she and her two kids needed a place to stay.
"It's a nightmare, and I'm just living each minute. We don't know what's gonna happen the next minute," Schwartz said.
At the Merrick Library, which is being used as a warming center, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano got an earful from frustrated homeowners on Thursday.
Homeowner Richard Feldman called the recovery effort a failure. "There are tens of thousands of people out there, like me, with no home," Feldman said.
Tempers flared when Mangano tried to explain that LIPA is controlled by the state, not the county.
"So where is the state representative that is demanding LIPA give some answers to people? Where have they been for 11 days?" one woman asked.
"I share your frustration," Mangano said - to which the woman quickly replied, [B]"You have power in your house, you don't share my frustration."[/B]
Customers were further angered by word that homeowners living in Long Island's flood zone - from the Moriches to the Rockaways - were told by LIPA they need an electrician to certify it is safe to turn the power back on before the utility will restore service - even for homes that suffered no water damage, CBS correspondent Jennifer McLogan reported.
"I was told now that if you don't get that certificate that LIPA's going to come around and take your meter off your house, and then you'll have to pay a licensed electrician to come back and give you a new meter," Oceanside homeowner Renato Scaglione said.
New York Newsday now reports that two county executives on Long Island - Mangano and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone - announced that LIPA will scrap its policy requiring homeowners obtain new electrical evaluations before they can get their power turned back on.
Newsday also reports LIPA has been criticized for failing to implement recommendations made in a 2006 report that may have better prepared the utility for the massive storm.
Plainview resident Al Gerstein told WCBS that his housing development lost power at 6 p.m. on Oct. 29, and has been in the dark ever since.
"We have called every elected official in the area, we filed a formal complaint with the public service commission, no one is getting back to us," Gerstein said. "LIPA has a recording on with no information concerning our area. We have not gotten one answer. It's been a disaster."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has demanded investigations of utilities that aren't working quickly enough. He called LIPA archaic and in need of an immediate overhaul.
"We paid them and we gave them a franchise because they represented themselves as experts in doing this and they failed - and they should be held accountable for their failure," Cuomo said.
Cuomo said the region will need a long-term recovery plan, but many residents said they only worry about where they will sleep, or their next meal.
Residents said they are at the end of their ropes.
"I'm very frustrated. We have no electricity. I haven't seen one LIPA truck, no help from everyone. I can't believe this is America. This is the richest country in the world and we help everybody. Where is everybody to help us?" Esther Ackerman of Oceanside told WCBS correspondent Dick Brennan.
"Something has to be done, we have elderly people on this block," said Lucy Capicchioni of New Hyde Park.
Consolidated Edison reports 15,372 customers in Westchester County and 18,375 customers in New York City still without power.
Con Ed has also been harshly criticized for its post-storm response but the utility said that won't keep them from seeking a rate increase, WCBS reports. The company hasn't said how big a hike it wants, but it would take effect next October.
Repair crews yesterday were fixing cable service in Chappaqua, N.Y., but some say Con Ed workers were nowhere to be seen as they suffered through the 11th day without power.
"I am sorry for what happened. I am very sorry for what happened," said Con Ed CEO Kevin Burke. "We worked on this very hard."
Burke said Con Ed can tell people what day their power will be restored now.
In New Jersey about 210,000 customers are still without power.
In Connecticut, however, nearly all residents and businesses have their power back on. [/quote]
source: [url]http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57547551/11-days-without-power-sandy-victims-want-answers/[/url]
I blame Obama.
Here's your answer:
[img]http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/capital-weather-gang/201210/images/latestfull-sandy.jpg?uuid=ZCEADB63EeKc1bVcODiJYg[/img]
I still don't have power, and my backyard was anally obliterated
They firstly need to get the water out before they decide to turn back on the power, I mean come on now think of the train tracks being wasted you know turn the power on them and you'll wreck the whole of america, and other places.
The water needs to go back into the sea where it belongs! :dance:
Everyone should get a bucket and spade to help out..
Also the USA will slowly sink into more debt just think of that 210k of people
my said teacher said they're complaining because they expect the government to do everything for them
should I go to another school
It's not the government that gets the power back on, it's the power companies. I believe. They are responsible for the water/gas lines though.
And this is why you don't use electric heat, and have a generator.
There was a nasty storm that rampaged through my town in 2007 and knocked out power for 3 days. It was cold and nasty, but we managed fine because we have a natural gas heater and natural gas water heater. We kept our two refrigerators powered with our small generator for a few hours every day (just to keep them cold) and ran our computers and TV the rest of the time.
I can get where these people are coming from though, our electric company is just as unresponsive. The 3 day power outage was just because our side of the freeway just has one power trunk that serves everyone and they just left it there until the middle of the third day when they finally started working on it. Everyone over the hill had power the entire time and it pissed us off.
"Wheres my government?"
[QUOTE=NinjaS;38389227]They firstly need to get the water out before they decide to turn back on the power, I mean come on now think of the train tracks being wasted you know turn the power on them and you'll wreck the whole of america, and other places.
The water needs to go back into the sea where it belongs! :dance:
Everyone should get a bucket and spade to help out..
Also the USA will slowly sink into more debt just think of that 210k of people[/QUOTE]
That didn't make sense in the slightest.
[QUOTE=ewitwins;38389393]That didn't make sense in the slightest.[/QUOTE]
You don't make sense, you're a communist.
Glaber, stop trying to spin this way against Obama. Power companies are capitalist entities, the very thing republicans want to keep private.
I went 2 weeks without power a few years back during that massive ice storm. It's your providers fault, not the Governments.
[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;38389554]I went 2 weeks without power a few years back during that massive ice storm. It's your providers fault, not the Governments.[/QUOTE]
So where is this magic power do you speak of then?
Aw jeez, after 11 days they turned nearly 7.9 million peoples power back on.
You want answers? A big ass hurricane tore some shit up, and you don't understand the scope of the damage. So [del]sit down and shut up[/del] please wait patiently while 14000 workers restore power for you.
[QUOTE=NinjaS;38389691]So where is this magic power do you speak of then?[/QUOTE]
What are you even talking about
Um, your infrastructure wasn't just damaged, it was [I]completely obliterated.[/I]
It takes more than 11 days to rebuild from that shit.
[QUOTE=NinjaS;38389691]So where is this magic power do you speak of then?[/QUOTE]
The people who your parents pay a monthly bill to. Why don't you ask them since obviously you are not an adult.
I love these people
We don't want big government!
Second a disaster happens.
WHERE'S THE GOVERNMENT!
[QUOTE=NinjaS;38389227]They firstly need to get the water out before they decide to turn back on the power, I mean come on now think of the train tracks being wasted you know turn the power on them and you'll wreck the whole of america, and other places.
The water needs to go back into the sea where it belongs! :dance:
Everyone should get a bucket and spade to help out..
Also the USA will slowly sink into more debt just think of that 210k of people[/QUOTE]
holy shit are you actually retarded
[editline]10th November 2012[/editline]
Anyway my house was out of power for about a week, then we had the nor'easter which knocked it out for another 24 hours. I've learned to appreciate heat..
[editline]10th November 2012[/editline]
I actually re-read that post and I just want to say that the water has been out for about 9 days. I can't even
The answer is to stop bitching about it and wait. Fuck, even Minnesota sent trucks to NY to help fix the power lines.
This stuff takes time and if done incorrectly, can damage it more.
Grab a beer and calm the fuck down. The power is coming back.
[QUOTE=areolop;38390931]The answer is to stop bitching about it and wait. Fuck, even Minnesota sent trucks to NY to help fix the power lines.
This stuff takes time and if done incorrectly, can damage it more.
Grab a beer and calm the fuck down. The power is coming back.[/QUOTE]
you are correct, but it seems you're interpreting anxiety regarding loss of essential utilities as whining and this makes you an idiot
[QUOTE=areolop;38390931]The answer is to stop bitching about it and wait. Fuck, even Minnesota sent trucks to NY to help fix the power lines.
This stuff takes time and if done incorrectly, can damage it more.
Grab a beer and calm the fuck down. The power is coming back.[/QUOTE]
It's not that simple. It's hard when some people have $200 worth of groceries rotting in their warm refrigerators, the few of us who have generators have to worry about them getting stolen, we have to worry about looters breaking into our houses, the rest of us who [I]don't[/I] have generators are feeling 30 degree weather inside their homes.
So, I'd like to see you go 11 days with no electricity, no job, no food, no heat and no warm water, and the constant fear of some fucking scumbags breaking into your house at night when you can't do jack shit about it because your phones aren't working to call the police. And I haven't even brought up the people who have had water enter their homes. I actually just want to say fuck you for being so naive.
[editline]10th November 2012[/editline]
Oh yeah, then there's the trees that went down, the dangerous wires dangling in every street and the exploding transformers making your neighborhood a fireworks display.
So yeah, let us grab a warm, scuzzy fucking beer and sit back in our freezing houses while I wait for power to come back - who knows when?
[QUOTE=DesolateGrun;38389221]I still don't have power, and my backyard was anally obliterated[/QUOTE]
This might be a stupid thing to ask, but if you don't have power how are you posting that?
But wait, there's more. If you're lucky enough to have a generator, good luck finding gas in a situation like this one because the one gas station that's not empty has lines going literally for miles. Same thing with food. Non-perishables are wiped off the shelves. Most of the time, there was no fresh water to drink considering the tap water in our own homes is tainted because of the flooding. The power's coming back though, right?
[editline]10th November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=TheSporeGA;38391026]This might be a stupid thing to ask, but if you don't have power how are you posting that?[/QUOTE]
Probably a smartphone
[QUOTE=Bletotum;38390967]you are correct, but it seems you're interpreting anxiety regarding loss of essential utilities as whining and this makes you an idiot[/QUOTE]
Looking at it as a whole, people cant expect the entire grid to be fixed in a short time without additional resources being added in.
Yes, its critical to have power for food, medications, heat, etc. but in desperate situations, you have to bend a little and find ways around it.
(Im surprised there hasnt been anything huge about the fuel rationing thats going on)
11 whole fucking days without power!!! oh my god that must be horrible. I remember going 3 days short of two months without power in North Carolina like ten years back.
Hurricane Isaac knocked me out of power for about 5 days. Got sick of it after 3 days and went to a hotel for the last 2 days.
I can't imagine having to settle with 11 whole days, and counting!
[QUOTE=Kylel999;38391044]But wait, there's more. If you're lucky enough to have a generator, good luck finding gas in a situation like this one because the one gas station that's not empty has lines going literally for miles. Same thing with food. Non-perishables are wiped off the shelves. Most of the time, there was no fresh water to drink considering the tap water in our own homes is tainted because of the flooding. The power's coming back though, right?[/QUOTE]
During Ike we had FEMA PODs (Points of Distribution) that would give you free MRE's, water and ice. Not sure if that's the same for this storm.
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