Update 4:40 pm: While crews with Con Edison have made progress in restoring power to the five districts following the wind-related strikes caused by Tropical Storm Isaias, some 27,000 customers remain powerless in the five weeks. And they are not expected to get their electricity back until 11pm on Sunday night.
Manhattan stands as the only neighborhood where full service has been restored to Con Edison customers, according to a press release that Con Edison sent out early this morning. Although Con Edison was on his numbers early on Saturday, it did not have a breakdown of outings per quarter. In Westchester County, 44,000 customers remain without service.
Power outages exist in New Jersey, where an estimated 121,000 customers from three utilities – 93,621 JCP & L customers, 24,000 PSE & G customers, and 3,620 Atlantic City Electric customers – remain without service. Power is expected to return next Tuesday.
In Long Island, 95,000 customers with PSE & G do not yet have service. The utility’s response inspired an investigation into the utility’s response.
The storm on Tuesday hit a wallop, causing gusty winds of 70 miles per hour in New York that caused widespread outages. At the height of the blackout, some 300,000 customers were left without power. That prompted Con Edison officials to consider that the execution is the second worst next to Superstorm Sandy.
Con Edison has enlisted the help of outside companies to help restore power, with 1,300 contractors working alongside the 1,700 Con Edison workers. They say crews have been working non-stop for days since the storm hit, clearing burnt trees that had been stranded in cables.
The New York City Office of Emergency Management has managed tree referrals across the entire city.
“Queens specifically is the hardest hit,” said OEMs commissioner Deanne Criswell of the fallen trees. “Currently, we have more than 1,500 people working on clearing trees in the city, and 153 of them are in Queens. We continue to provide additional resources, and re-assign some of the staff of city offices to re-plant the tree. support removal efforts. “
Spiel, Bayside, Astoria and Woodside are given priority to clear down fallen trees. It will take new week to remove all those trees.
“These trees are very unstable at the moment, and with all the rain we had before, and a little rain yesterday, it makes them even more unstable. You have to stay away from any tree that is not protected, hasn You are just putting yourself in danger, “Criswell said, adding that residents should also steer clear of the power lines.
The restoration also came when a pop-up blackout cut off electricity to 180,000 customers Friday morning. The incident – which brought power to 187,000 customers in the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, and Harlem in Manhattan, and 77,000 customers in Maspeth, Queens.
Crews later determined that lightning was to blame for Friday’s outbreak, where a transmission system caused three networks in Manhattan’s power supply to shut down.
Election officials have called for Con Edison’s response to the storm, many touting the utility of leaving tens of thousands in disarray for days.
Mayor Bill de Blasio – who is a staunch critic of Con Edison – said on Friday that “New Yorkers are suffering because power has not yet returned.”
“And look, I think we’re all frustrated over the years. We’ve addicted to Con Edison and we do not always get the answers we need and the follow-up we need,” said Blasio. “Con Ed is obviously the only people who can actually put power back on. Originally, Con Ed said they needed it until Sunday. And I think this was a lot of annoyance for a lot of New Yorkers. Who wants to? “Why wait so long? Why should you wait that long?”
“It is clear that Con Edison management was not prepared for this storm,” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, said in a statement. “Con Edison has said the vast majority of customers are expected to have their power restored by the end of Sunday – five full days after the storm surge. That is not acceptable.”
Ocasio-Cortez said her office has heard from constituents worry about her medical conditions requiring electronic devices to be treated. They are also worried about taking their medications because they were not properly refrigerated.
In a newsletter on Saturday, Con Ed President Timothy Cawley said the utility has placed 800,000 wellness checks. Those who have food that is spoiled can file a compensation claim, Cawley said (to do so, click here).
On accusations that Con Edison was unprepared for this storm, Cawley said criticism is not currently on his mind.
“I really – myself, the entire CERT team, all of our people in the field – are really just focused on the restoration at this point. And that’s consuming and it needs to consume and that’s all our consuming efforts,” Cawley said. .
While frustrations over Con Edison’s reaction to social media buying took place, a resident of Ozone Park, who only went through Dean, took it in stride.
“Well, what can you do. We had a pandemic, there was a hurricane, and so what can we do, but just pray and thank God we are alive,” Dean said. “That’s all I can say. The lights will come back on.”
Those who have been left without power can pick up some dry ice to bind them over. Below is a list of locations:
Here are the locations and times for dry ice:
- Queens
–The parking lot of George Seuffert Bandshell, 19 Forest Park Dr. Distribution takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
-The Home Depot, 11220 Rockaway Blvd. Park in Ozone Park. Distribution will be from 10.30am to 9pm - States Island
-The Staten Island Mall, 2655 Richmond Ave. from 12.30 to 21 hours - Bronx
–The Home Depot, 1806 E. Gun Hill Rd., From 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Westchester County
-The Yorktown Green Shopping Center, 366 Downing Dr., in Yorktown Heights, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
-New Rochelle City Hall, 515 North Ave., behind parking lot, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
