More Than 3K Still Without Power After Fierce July 4 Storm, Road Closures, Cleanup Continue

LONG ISLAND, NY — A fierce, sudden storm swept across Long Island on July 4 night, downing trees and leaving more than 13,000 people without power Sunday morning.

As of Monday at 5:30 a.m., 3,245 remained without power — 1,11 9 of those in the Hampton Bays area, according to the PSEG Long Island power outage map.

Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday, adding that residents in Hampton Bays, Flanders, Southampton Village and Shinnecock Hills were among the hardest hit.

On Sunday night, Southampton Town police reported "multiple road closures throughout the township," due to the storm that impacted the area on July 4.

The following roads were partially closed or impacted.

Noyack Road from Millstone Road to Deerfield Road in Southampton.

Springville Road South of Neptune Avenue in Hampton Bays.

Newtown Road in Hampton Bays.

Argonne Road East in the area of Lynn Avenue and Oak Drive in Hampton Bays.

"Southampton Town Police officers, along with traffic control officers are present at multiple locations to assist with traffic control. Town highway units and PSEG employees are also working tirelessly to clear road blockages and restore power in affected areas," police said." The town is advising the public to avoid live wire conditions and to contact 911 to report any hazardous roadway blockages.

PSEG Long Island issued an update Sunday morning: "The electrical system has held up well amid the heat wave over the last few days along with the heavy rain and wind gusts from the severe thunderstorms last night across the service area," officials said.

The storm has downed trees, branches and wires, currently affecting the 13,904 of 1.2 million electric customers across Long Island and the Rockaways, PSEG Long Island said.

The storm disrupted many plans for fireworks and other July 4 festivities.

As of 8 a.m., PSEG Long Island has restored power to more than 17,000 customers affected by the thunderstorms since 8 p.m. Saturday and more than 36,000 customers affected by the heatwave since July 1, officials said.

"While outages are scattered across the service area, eastern Suffolk County received the worst weather, with more than 70 mph wind gusts, hail and heavy rain," PSEG Long Island said. "Southampton, Hampton Bays, Riverhead and Port Jefferson Station are among the hardest hit municipalities."

Crews have worked through the extreme heat throughout the holiday weekend and will continue to work in 16-hour shifts safely and as quickly as possible until all outages are restored, PSEG Long Island said.

"PSEG Long Island recognizes that being without power for any length of time is a hardship and appreciates customers’ patience and understanding as crews work to restore electric service," a statement read.

PSEG Long Island Safety Tips:

• Downed wires should always be considered "live." Stay as far away as possible from them, and if possible keep others, children, and pets away from the wire. Do not drive over or stand near any downed wire. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour electric service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911.
• Electric current passes easily through water. If you encounter a pool of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path.
• Never use a generator or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.
• Click here for additional information on safety during storms.

• Download the PSEG Long Island mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
• Report an outage and receive status updates by texting OUT to PSEGLI (773454). You can also report your outage through the PSEG Long Island app or website here.