Update: PSEG Says 90% Have Regained Power Lost to Storm

Update: PSEG-LI said that as of 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, it has restored service to approximately 90 percent of the customers affected by the storm.  The majority of those still without power should see it restored by midnight, the utility said.

Hundreds of trees came down Sunday as a severe and fast-moving thunderstorm drove through Huntington, and leaving many residents without power, Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci said Monday.

Lupinacci and PSEG-LI president Daniel Eichhorn spoke Monday in a Commack neighborhood covered by trees ripped by their roots from the ground and broken electrical wires littering streets and lawns.

Both pledged to keep crews working until power is restored and roadways cleared, which is expected by sometime Wednesday.

The damage was extensive in parts of Northport, East Northport, Commack, Centerport and  Huntington Station.

Lupinacci said the heavy rains in recent weeks had “primed the ground for trees to fall.” The town Highway Department received 750 service requests, he said, and the department received 100 calls within the first hour after the storm blew through.

Among the damages reported:

Residents and beach goers were trapped in Asharoken when a tree fell across Asharoken Avenue, the only road in and out of the community.

CrabMeadow golf course lost 35 trees and is closed through Tuesday. The town said it hoped to reopen the course on Wednesday.

Dix Hills pool is closed because of a loss of power

12 boats ran aground in Huntington Harbor as boaters were caught by the sudden arrival of the storm. One woman suffered a broken arm; a paddleboarder was upended by the wind and waves and had to cling to a mooring until rescued.

PSEG-LI said will open temporary outreach centers in areas hardest hit by the storms, including its Greenlawn office at 288 Pulaski Rd. Additionally, an outreach center will also be set up in the Mayfair Shopping Center located at 2020 Jericho Tpke. in Commack. These locations will be displayed on PSEG Long Island’s outage map. It said storm liaison staff are bringing water and snacks to customers in the hardest-hit areas.

Crews from Con Edison and other neighboring utilities are already at work. By the end of the day, about 455 tree trim and line workers from other areas are expected.

Its office in Melville, at 15 Park Dr., will remain open until 8 p.m. so people can use it as a cooling center and to charge  electronic devices with their own chargers.

Residents of the Commack neighborhood, including Shelton Place and Wiltshire Drive, recalled seeing the storm suddenly appear.

Linda Allen said that as she returned from a quick trip to a store, “I looked up and the sky was black. Then a tree in our yard lifted up and the top of the tree just exploded.”

On one street, neighbors had placed a  child-size basketball hoop in the middle of the road to keep people from driving over two downed wires. On another, a full-sized basketball hoop lay on its side, toppled by a tree and wind. Other residents watched as workers checked for wires and began dismantling the trees stretching across roads.

PSEG-LI provided this information:

  • To report and receive status updates on an outage Text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or to report an outage online visit www.psegliny.com
  • To register have your account number available and text REG to PSEGLI (773454)
  • Follow PSEG Long Island on Facebook and Twitter to report an outage and for updates before, during and after the storm
  • Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything contacting the wire. To report a downed wire call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 1-800-490-0075
  • Visit PSEG Long Island’s outage map to view outage information across Long Island and the Rockaways at https://outagemap.psegliny.com/

The town provided this information:

To report a fallen tree, call the PSEG number above or the Huntington  Highway Department at (631) 499-0444 or huntingtonny.gov/highway 

Don’t approach or drive over a downed power line and do not touch anything contacting downed wires.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON COOLING FACILITIES

Residents without power can keep cool at these Town of Huntington facilities:

• Senior Center at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington from Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

• Dix Hills Ice Rink at 575 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills open until 8 PM Monday nght and opening at 6 AM Tuesday.

• Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park at Elwood Park on Cuba Hill Road in Elwood is open 11AM until 8 PM 7 days a week, with extended hours, and opening at 10AM for special needs children Tuesdays and Thursdays, including the 4th of July.

New Nature Trail Opens in Huntington

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