3
QUEENS WEEKLY, AUGUST 9, 2020
and power outages after Tropical Storm Isaias
weather is our new reality
and the reckless disregard
by utility companies to adequately
plan for Tropical
Storm Isaias left tens of
thousands of customers in
the dark, literally and figuratively.
Their performance
was unacceptable,” Cuomo
said. “The large volume of
outages and the utilities’
failure to communicate
with customers in real time
proves they did not live up
to their legal obligations.
The fact that many customers
still do not know when
their power will be restored
makes it even more unacceptable.
The worst of this
situation was avoidable, and
it cannot happen again.”
On Wednesday, Aug.
5, the governor declared a
state of emergency throughout
the state, to expedite the
restoration of power.
The counties included
in the declaration are the
Bronx, Dutchess, Kings,
Nassau, New York, Orange,
Putnam, Queens, Richmond,
Rockland, Suffolk
and Westchester counties.
Cuomo has also directed the
New York National Guard
to mobilize 50 soldiers
with vehicles to assist Putnam
County officials with
storm response, cleanup
missions and ice and water
distribution.
“We’re taking an allhands
on-deck approach
and activating every resource
at our disposal to
expedite communities’ recovery
from the impacts
of Tropical Storm Isaias,”
Governor Cuomo said. “The
State is working closely
with local governments to
help ensure they have the
help they need to get back
on their feet. We’re far too
familiar with severe weather,
but New Yorkers show
their true spirit in times of
crisis and we’ll prove it once
more.”
Councilman Robert
Holden, whose district was
hit hard by power outages,
took to social media to
share his frustration with
Con Edison.
“Communication has
been the most frustrating
part of all of this,” Holden
said. “We should not have to
chase Con Ed for information
during an emergency
situation.”
Con Edison announced
Wednesday that the work to
restore power for the nearly
200,000 customers without
power across the city will
take days.
“It is a formidable task
for the women and men of
Con Edison who work under
difficult and sometimes
dangerous conditions. They
have already spent the early
part of the summer in the
streets working through
heat emergencies,” the company
said in a statement.
“Restoration will require
clearing nearly 500 roads
that are blocked by fallen
trees. Con Edison must
de-energize any wires entangled
in those trees, untangle
the wires and then
work with municipal public
works crews to remove the
trees. More than 7,000 wires
are down and each requires
careful attention with the
safety of the public and Con
Edison workers being the
priority.”
Additional reporting by
Dean Moses.
Photo by Dean Moses
Photo by Jacob Kaye