LIPA crews are continuing to repair the damaged power grid despite the raging winds and wet snow-rain mix that has been falling for hours now. According to LIPA’s website, the recovery effort is on schedule, and 90 percent of customer’s should be restored by the end of today.
Michael Hervey, LIPA’s chief operating officer, detailed the recovery effort during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Approximately 40,000 homes and businesses in Long Island’s hardest hit areas will require inspections before crewmen can safely restore power to those structures. Inspectors will be assessing water damage, and whether the electricity has been compromised.
Homes and businesses that have extensive water damage that prevents crewmen from reconnecting to the power grid will have to go through a process to be re-certified for electrical connections.
Hervey said it may take up to an additional week beyond Nov. 7 to completely restore power, but that estimate only applies to the cases described above. Hervey also made sure to dispel rumors that the restoration effort could stretch beyond Thanksgiving.
The evaluations, conducted by a cohort of county, town and private contractors are coming under sharp criticism because it has never been a requirement following major storms in the past.
On Wednesday morning, LIPA reported approximately 150,000 customers without power, but the number rose throughout the day as the current nor’easter undid some of the repairs.
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