The Town of Hempstead has 203,378 households still in the dark as of Wednesday 3 p.m., including 6,188 in Garden City, according to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).
An update on the power authority's website today states that significant efforts are underway to repair the "backbone” of the electric system, which includes the "high-voltage power lines and the substations that distribute power to local communities."
"These parts of the electric system may not be near your home, which is why you may not see a LIPA truck on your street," the statement read. "Additionally, many of our employees who survey damage use their personal vehicles."
A workforce of more than 5,000 is working "around the clock." Prior to the storm, crews were brought in from other regions to assist and more are arriving daily.
“The enormity of this storm has strained the resources of all utilities in its path,” said Michael Hervey, LIPA Chief Operating Officer. “As a result, there are significant limitations to the number of additional restoration crews available to assist us in getting the power back on. However, as we continue our outreach over the next few days, we will know more about our access to those resources.”
LIPA wants residents to know that telephone networks are experiencing heavy volume and is asking residents to be patient. To report an outage, call 1-800-490-0075 or 1-631-755-6900.
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