PSEG-LI continues to work to repair damage inflicted by Tropical Storm Isaias Tuesday. The storm, whose strong winds and near-hurricane force gusts, toppled more than 3,000 large trees and limbs, did widespread damage to the electrical system and left more than 420,000 PSEG-LI customers without power.
Fewer than 108,000 customers were still without power as of 9:30 last night, the utility said in a press release. PSEG-LI estimates 85% of its customers will have power restored by the end of the day today.
“We are doing everything possible to get your power back as quickly and as safely as possible,” PSEG-LI president and chief operating officer Daniel Eichhorn said during a press conference yesterday afternoon.
“We continue to make progress,” he said. “We know if you’re still out that doesn’t mean much. We’re doing everything possible to make sure we get to you as quickly and safely as we can,” Eichhorn said.
The PSEG-LI online outage map, which indicates outage locations, customers affected and estimated restoration times does not contain accurate information, the company said in a press release last night.
“Power restoration is progressing faster than can be displayed on the outage map,” PSEG-LI said in the release. “The map will fluctuate as we refine the data.”
PSEG did not provide localized information about remaining outages or restoration estimates in the press release.
Its outage map this morning shows more than 2,000 customers in Riverhead without power. The outage map also now bears a disclaimer: “MAP DATA MAY CONTAIN INACCURACIES.”
But Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said this morning that during the town’s daily update call with PSEG-LI, which took place at about 4 p.m. yesterday, the utility reported over 2,000 customers in Riverhead had no power.
PSEG-LI said it has “nearly 3,000 line workers, tree trimmers and other personnel” working around the clock, in 16-hour shifts to restore power. Crews from upstate, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Alabama, Kansas and Missouri are on Long Island assisting with the restoration work, the utility said.
Isaias caused widespread damage to the electrical system “plant,” including significant infrastructure, Eichhorn said. It knocked out two interconnections, 19 substations, eight 8 138kv transmission lines, 30 69kv circuits, 21 22-volt and 33-volt systems and 284 circuits, Eichhorn reported. The vast majority of all the “plant damage” has been repaired, he said.
Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson said this morning nearly all of the downed power lines preventing tree clearing on Riverhead roads have now been repaired. Highway crews must wait for PSEG-LI crews to remove the power lines before town workers could remove the trees and open the roads, Woodson said. PSEG-LI line crews had to coordinate with its tree-trimming contractor’s crews to get the job done before the highway crews could clear the road.
Woodson said this morning he believes the only location still waiting for PSEG-LI tree-trimming and power line crews before highway workers can open up roads is in Timber Park in Calverton.
PSEG-LI will be distributing free ice and water today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at these locations:
- Patchogue – 460 E Main St.
- Brentwood – 1650 Islip Avenue
- Greenlawn – 288 Pulaski Road
- Roslyn – 250 Willis Avenue
- Woodmere – Five Towns Shopping Center- 253-01 Rockaway Blvd
- Babylon – Babylon Town Hall – 200 E Sunrise Highway
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office will distribute ice today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at both county correctional facilities, located at:
- 100 Center Drive, Riverside
- 200 Glover Drive, Yaphank.
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