The South Shore of Long Island is dark in this NASA image showing blackouts in the New York region immediately after Hurricane Sandy. Two weeks later, 70,000 Long Island customers still lack power, and about half of those can't be connected until after damage to panels and wiring is inspected and repaired.
The South Shore of Long Island is dark in this NASA image showing blackouts in the New York region immediately after Hurricane Sandy. Two weeks later, 70,000 Long Island customers still lack power, and about half of those can't be connected until after damage to panels and wiring is inspected and repaired.

Two weeks after the hurricane, Long Island residents still face dark nights and days with no refrigeration or heat, as the Long Island Power Association (LIPA) lags behind other utilities in restoring power, according to a CBS News report ("Long Islanders: Now two weeks of power woes"). About 76,000 LIPA customers still did not have service on Monday, the network reported.

The South Shore of Long Island is dark in this NASA image showing blackouts in the New York region immediately after Hurricane Sandy. Two weeks later, 70,000 Long Island customers still lack power, and about half of those can't be connected until after damage to panels and wiring is inspected and repaired.

About 46,000 customers on Long Island's south shore have water damage to wiring and electrical panels in their buildings, and their power can't be restored until inspections and repairs are completed, according to an Eyewitness News report on New York's WABC Channel 7 website ("LIPA under harsh criticism as power outages remain"). New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for an investigation of the region's power companies, and two Long Island Congressmen are calling for Federal help with power restoration to the area.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the government would provide temporary accommodations for residents whose homes were still not habitable after power was restored, according to the CBS report — preferably in their own towns, so that children could attend their regular schools. But the problem of housing Long Island's displaced residents is daunting, according to a Newsday report ("LI officials hunt for housing amid shortage," by Keith Herbert and Sarah Crichton).

County officials have not arrived at a strategy for housing the displaced people, Newsday reported: "Two weeks after Sandy ravaged the region, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say they're awaiting requests for housing from local government." And the operator of a motel that has been designated by FEMA as a temporary housing site told Newsday, "We receive 6,000 phone calls a day from people looking for a place to stay." Every motel room in the area is already booked, the report says.</</body>