Two Weeks Later and No Power: Long Islanders Protest Power Authority | LIPA

Rachel Moran of Oceanside photographs Billy Farr of Long Beach amongst the wreckage of the boardwalk as Long Islanders continue their clean up efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy on November 9, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. (Photo: Getty Images)

(TheBlaze/AP) — Even as the lights came for many who lost power in New York and New Jersey during Superstorm Sandy and a later nor’easter, hundreds of residents protested Saturday outside a Long Island utility, frustrated by its slow response to outages in their area.

Power restoration has been significantly slower there than in other areas hit by the storm, and some of the 130,000 blacked out homes and businesses may not have power restored until the end of Tuesday, according to the Long Island Power Authority.

In the rest of the region hardest hit by the storm, most service was expected to be restored by the end of the weekend, though that doesn’t include tens of thousands of homes too damaged to juice up.

Two Weeks Later and No Power: Long Islanders Protest Power Authority | LIPA

Many homes not only don’t have power, but were completely flooded. (Photo: Fox 5)

“We are sitting in a cold house. No one comes by,” said John Mangin of Levittown, N.Y. “There should be criminal charges against the CEO and the executive board of LIPA for failure to do their jobs.”

He was among about 300 people staging a rally in front of LIPA’s office in Hicksville, N.Y. Not all were without power, but some who have power said they were there to protest LIPA’s lack of communication.

LIPA chief operating officer Michael Hervey said they were aware customers haven’t gotten the information they’ve needed from the utility, partly because of an outdated information technology system they’re in the process of updating.

“I certainly feel the frustration of customers whose power remains out. Our hearts go out to them,” Hervey said.

Two Weeks Later and No Power: Long Islanders Protest Power Authority | LIPA

Long Island residents protest as roughly 130,000 still have no power after Superstorm Sandy. (Photo: CBSNewYork)

But he said workers are repairing unprecedented storm damage as fast as they can. About 6,400 linemen and 3,700 tree trimmers are at work, compared with 200 linemen on a normal day.

In Suffolk County, where about 28,000 remain without power, County Executive Steven Bellone announced he was cutting ties with LIPA and would deal directly with substation coordinators.

Hervey said he would not comment on that directly, but added that an ad hoc takeover of the system would lead to anarchy.

“The utility is the best suited to restore power and manage that,” he said. “We can’t have people step in and take over.”

CBS New York has more, including video of the protest:


New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for investigation of the region’s utilities, criticizing them as unprepared and badly managed. On Friday, two congressmen from Long Island called for the federal government to help LIPA restore electricity.

“It’s a totally disorganized effort, and LIPA unfortunately seems to have lost control of the situation and that’s why you see so many people becoming so angry,” Rep. Peter King said Saturday.

In New York City and neighboring suburban Westchester County, utility Con Edison said it has restored electricity to 98 percent of homes and businesses. About 20,000 of the utility’s customers remained powerless, down from a peak of more than 1 million.

In New Jersey, less than 85,000 customers were without power Saturday, most along the coast, utilities said. That was down from 2.7 million at the height of the storm. Most were expected to have power by the end of the weekend.

“Where is LIPA for the elderly, the children, everyone? I had my home impacted, my mother and [me] just want help…” one woman said desperately.

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