PSEG Vows To Wrap Up Power Restoration, Bellone Calls For Answers

LONG ISLAND, NY — With PSEG Long Island slated to restore power to all customers who remain without service by midnight Wednesday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said the focus will now shift toward finding answers.

Many have been without power for a week after Tropical Storm Isaias, leading to backlash against the utility company and a widespread cry for an explanation from residents and electric officials alike.

According to PSEG's storm update on Wednesday afternoon, as of 3:45 p.m., 9,180 customers remained without power Long Island-wide. About 290 of that total were outages reported during the storm period, which impacted 420,000 customers.

"Today’s work plan will focus on the remaining storm-related outages, which we expect will be completed tonight," PSEG Long Island said.

The total outage map number includes new outages resulting from Wednesday's weather as well as new outages seen on any non-storm day, PSEG said. PSEG Long Island currently has more than 6,500 line workers, tree trimmers and other field personnel working around the clock, in 16-hour shifts, until every customer is restored, a release said.

"Our focus has been on people without power, getting their power back on," Bellone said. But once the power is restored the focus will turn toward solutions, he said. "We cannot see this happen again. My concern is, as we move toward fall and the heart of the hurricane season, we could be struck with more significant storms," he said. "These issues need to be resolved before then. Breaking it down and coming up with solutions will now be the focus of our attention."

Coronavirus numbers 'very good news'

Bellone said currently, a total of 43,948 individuals in Suffolk County have tested positive for the coronavirus; in the last 24-hour reporting period, 55 out of 5,030 tested positive, or about 1.1 percent. A total of 24,392 have tested positive for antibodies, he said.

There are 33 individuals hospitalized countywide with the coronavirus, with three patients in ICU, Bellone said. Hospital capacity stands at 3,034 beds, with 861 available, or 72 percent capacity; there are 395 ICU beds countywide, with 131 available, or 67 percent capacity, he said.

A total of four people went home from the hospital over the past 24 hours — and altogether, 1,998 Suffolk County residents have lost their lives to the coronavirus. That number, Bellone said, while "horrific," slowed down and has not yet reached 2,000 thanks to the health care workers, first responders, and the public, who all followed the guidance.

Bellone said he was concerned about the possibility of a surge in the fall when individuals go inside, schools open, and flu season arrives; to that end, individuals need to continue to exercise caution, he said.

Cry for federal help

Bellone also blasted President Donald Trump, who was in the Hamptons fundraising over weekend — and "at the same time, he was also talking about federal disaster assistance as being some sort of a bailout."

Suffolk County, Bellone has said repeatedly over the past weeks, needs federal help to bridge a looming $1.5 billion budget hole created by the coronavirus pandemic; there is an immediate need for $1 billion in federal relief, he has said.

The funding is needed to help the county recover from the COVID-19 crisis, including support for first responders, police and school districts. "Support for federal disaster assistance is not a partisan issue," Bellone said.

On Tuesday, Bellone held a joint meeting Broome County Executive Jason T. Garnar and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro calling on Trump and Congress to deliver federal disaster assistance to counties.

"For the federal government to say, 'Hey, we're not going to do comprehensive assistance, federal disaster assistance to help cover the cost of the response to COVID-19,' in effect is saying we're okay with defunding local government and public safety and public health. And that's just not acceptable. It's not helpful. It's going to hinder our economic recovery, not only here in New York but across the country.”

Also, he said, the word "bailout' implies the county had done something wrong, when all anyone did was do their jobs and follow federal guidance to help flatten the curve. "This isn't a bailout," Bellone said. "It's the right thing to do."

Not to provide aid, he said, would be "unconscionable."

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