Outrage in Huntington

LIPA 9/1/11 1033AM THOSE WITH OUT POWER

WHERE ARE YOU?

TheHuntingtonian TIPS Line received a  message from Kathy in Huntington that there was still a very dangerous condition on Cliftwood Dr, Abbott Dr and Fort Hill Rd(see pictures in gallery). She emailed us at tips@thehuntingtonian.com and said “there is a sign at Cliftwood and Park Ave saying  Where is LIPA, Verizon and Frank Petrone?”.

The Huntingtonian went to the area and found the sign. It must have worked because there were 3 Verizon trucks with a new telephone pole. Maybe the area will get their electric back now!

Many people are complaining about the response of LIPA, or lack there of. People just want to know what is going on. Statements from LIPA like “We will have 90% of our customers with electric on Friday” does not help their customers and they need to understand that. What if you are the other 10%? Maybe if it is going to be a longer time then would go to a friend or family members house or take a vacation.

After speaking with various government officials about this type of situation, Towns will clear roads no problem and want to work with LIPA. It is more of a safety concern for the Towns crews. LIPA needs to work with the Towns to schedule the  most efficient repair for every one concerned. Please understand that you would not want a crew member from our Town to needlessly get hurt, as LIPA has the means to know if a line is live or not.

At a briefing Wednesday morning, LIPA and National Grid officials said “repair efforts have seen some 76,000 feet of wire and cable replaced, along with 633 transformers. Some 713 poles have been readied for replacement, but not all will be needed”.

LIPA chief Michael Hervey warned customers that “intentional” power outages should be expected during the week as crews move out into neighborhoods and de-energize lines to make repairs or re-connections. Most intentional shutdowns are safety related.

Hervey also said “There will be an increased number of intentional outages, It’s a normal part of the restoration.” The outages could last hours.

If you have a tip please let us know at tips@thehuntingtonian.com