The Long Island Power Authority said it could take a week to 10 days to restore power after 90 percent of homes and businesses it serves were left in the dark after Hurricane Sandy.
LIPA said in a statement on its website that “significant efforts” are underway to repair the electric system and high-voltage power lines and substations that provide power to 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 utility said. “Additionally, many of our employees who survey damage use their personal vehicles. It is extremely important that we make sure hospitals, other critical facilities, and emergency services are up and running.
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“Significant progress has been made and we will continue to focus our efforts on these facilities.”
As of 10:03 a.m. Wednesday, 870,814 residents and businesses were still without power, LIPA reported on its website.
At the height of the storm, more than 900,000 LIPA customers lost power as Sandy ripped through the region, downing trees and power lines and leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
Those with no electricity flocked to local businesses with the hope of finding an outlet that would power up their phones, tablets and computers.
At the Starbucks in Deer Park, lines stretched outside. Inside, people huddled around each other, sharing power outlets and stories of Sandy’s destruction.
Five thousand-plus workers are working “around the clock,” to get power back up, LIPA said.