The Next Storm Could Be Worse: LIPA
LI Must Prepare for the Height of Hurricane Season
Dead & Rotten Trees a Major Concern
Removing Dead & Dying Trees Can Lower Storm Damage & Outages, Save Lives &
Prevent Injuries
Bellmore, NY – September 7, 2006 – Tropical Depression Ernesto’s
remnants hit Long Island with tropical storm-force wind gusts as high as 57
miles per hour that brought down trees and tree branches island-wide. The Long
Island Power Authority (LIPA) said that hundreds of trees came down during the
storm, damaging homes and property, and bringing down power lines and causing
outages in record numbers.
During Ernesto’s 15-hour visit, some 128,000 LIPA customers lost electric
service that took about two days to restore completely. A Category 3 hurricane
could cause 750,000 to one million outages that could take 15 to 30 days to
completely restore. Is Long Island ready for such a catastrophic event?
“Ernesto packed quite a punch, but we recovered quickly,” said LIPA Chairman
Richard M. Kessel. “By comparison, a category three hurricane would devastate
Long Island’s electric system; thousands of residential homes and commercial
buildings would sustain severe damage; coastal areas would flood, and flooding
would occur well inland according to storm-surge projections.
Mr. Kessel said that Ernesto uncovered a major vulnerability on Long Island –
dead and rotting trees. He said that hundreds of trees and parts of trees came
down during the storm, inflicting major property damage and causing thousands of
power outages. Mr. Kessel called on Long Islanders to immediately inspect their
trees to identify dead and rotting trees or branches that should be removed as
quickly as possible.
“As we saw with Ernesto, trees will come down and cause property damage and
power outages,” said Mr. Kessel. “LIPA trims trees along about 1,800 miles of
power line circuit miles per year, which means that over the last eight years
we’ve trimmed about 14,400 circuit miles in total. We’ve also removed hundreds
of dead trees from our rights of way.
“It’s important for property owners to do the same,” said Mr. Kessel.
“Property owners need to inspect the trees on their property for dead branches
and signs of disease, rot and bug infestations that can make them vulnerable to
being knocked down by hurricane or tropical storm-force winds. And if they have
not done so already they need to do it now, because the storm next time could be
a lot worse than Ernesto.”
“Since Ernesto hit Long Island, we’ve also checked some of our substations
along the southern tier of Nassau County and many of our transmission and
distribution lines throughout the island to look for any undetected
storm-related damage that needs attention now so we’re ready for the next
storm,” said Mr. Kessel.
“Homeowners and businesses on Long Island should do the same thing,” said Mr.
Kessel. “Ernesto could have caused some structural damage that may go undetected
unless roofs, siding, windows and doors are checked carefully.
“Now is the time to prepare for a hurricane – not when it’s about to hit,”
said Mr. Kessel.
Noting that the Town of Hempstead removed some 157 trees knocked down by
Ernesto from town roads, Town Supervisor Kate Murray said: “Hempstead Town will
continue to clear trees from town roadways, remove obstructions from storm
drains, and work to safeguard residents during hurricane-season storms and
throughout the year.
“Residents can help the town and LIPA by removing cars from roadways during
major storms, allowing crews to do their work. And neighbors should report
downed trees that impact power service and block roadways immediately, and
please be patient as we serve our constituents as quickly as possible,” said
Supervisor Murray.
“It’s important for Long Islanders to know how to be prepared in case we are
faced with a hurricane or other type of disaster,” said Senator Charles J.
Fuschillo, Jr. “Planning ahead will help protect your family and your property.”
“The recent storm, though not a hurricane, shows how important it is to be
prepared since we have several weeks left in this year’s hurricane season,” said
Assemblyman David G. McDonough.
Mr. Kessel noted that Long Island has not experienced a category three
hurricane since the “Long Island Express,” or great hurricane of ’38, roared
through, and that Hurricane Gloria, only a Category 1 storm, hit the island 21
years ago. “We’ve had a lot of development on Long Island, especially coastal
development, in the last 68 years,” said Mr. Kessel. “And, our suburban forest
is bigger, older and more stressed by previous storms too.”
Massive island-wide destruction would result from a Category 3 hurricane
largely due to extremely high winds and prolonged ground-soaking rains that
bring down trees and a huge tidal surge could flood the south shore of Long
Island as far inland as Sunrise Highway.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, a Cat-3 hurricane can pack winds of
111 to 130 miles per hour. In addition to the storm’s wind velocity, the forward
speed and/or dwell time of a hurricane can intensify the storm’s impact.
While the probability of a Category 3 hurricane making a direct hit on Long
Island is statistically slim, it is very possible for either a Category 2 or 1
hurricane to make a direct hit on Long Island.
A Category 2 hurricane, with winds ranging from 96mph to 110mph, could cause
an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 outages that could take about 10 to 15 days to
restore. A Category 1 hurricane, with winds ranging from 74mph to 95mph, could
put 250,000 to 500,000 customers out of service for approximately six days. And
a Tropical Storm with winds ranging from 39mph to 73mph could cause service
disruptions for 100,000 to 250,000 customers for up to three days.
Plan – Prepare – Practice
LIPA and emergency planners island-wide stress the need for everyone to Plan,
Prepare and Practice for a hurricane emergency, or prolonged electric service
disruption.
LIPA also underscores the need to take action before, during and after a
major hurricane or storm, when electric service will be difficult to restore
because of the extensive reconstruction work that will be needed to restore
downed power lines and damaged equipment, and damage to roads and buildings that
would hamper recovery efforts.
“LIPA has a detailed recovery plan in place, and periodic drills are
conducted to make sure that everyone who has a restoration job to perform knows
that job and how to do it successfully,” said Mr. Kessel. “The primary goal of
that plan – the Code Red Plan – is to restore service as quickly and safely as
possible.
“Line crews and other personnel will work around the clock, in shifts as long
as 16 hours, to return service as soon as possible, said Mr. Kessel, “but, the
electric service personnel who are out in the elements doing the heavy work of
restoring the system must do it as safely as possible to avoid life-threatening
injury.
“Safety first is always the primary order of the day,” underscored Mr. Kessel.
Before The Storm
The time to plan, prepare and practice for the possible disruption of normal
daily life is long before a storm approaches.
Steps to take include: devising a plan that will keep family members safe
during a storm; deciding if it will be necessary to evacuate possible flood
areas along the coast and how to evacuate safely; make provisions for pets; plan
for special medical needs and for senior members of the family, or older
neighbors; distribute emergency contact numbers to family members; assemble a
disaster supplies kit; check insurance coverage for flood and wind damage;
inventory household items with photographs; prepare property to withstand the
storm’s fury as best as possible; write down important telephone numbers; and
put the plan and travel maps in a kit for quick, easy access.
During The Storm
As a major hurricane, or weather event, approaches, it’s vitally important to
listen to weather advisories and to be prepared to take action.
Modern weather forecasting provides the opportunity to prepare for a major
hurricane days in advance. That’s when it’s important to: check home kit for
flashlights (avoid using candles which can be a fire hazard), portable radio and
TV, cell phone chargers (especially ones that can be used in an auto to recharge
cell phones), extra batteries; adequate food and water for each family member
for at least three to five days; get cash (ATM’s can lose power during and after
a storm); secure yard items; put up window protection; unplug major appliances;
prepare to evacuate early if necessary; and turn off water and electricity when
leaving. Also, fuel vehicles in advance of a potential storm since it may be
difficult to find a station open or able to pump gasoline immediately after a
hurricane. In coastal areas, move vehicles not needed for evacuation to high
ground to minimize the potential for damage from flooding. If instructed to
leave – leave. The temptation to “tough it out” can put lives at risk – yours
and the personnel who may be sent on an otherwise avoidable rescue mission.
After The Storm
Immediately after the storm passes it’s important to follow certain precautions
to ensure the safety of one’s family and neighbors.
Some of the basic steps to follow include: inspect homes for damage and take
pictures; if a portable generator is being used, keep it outside and have a
licensed electrician connect it only to major appliances. (Never connect a
generator to the main circuit breaker, since it could back feed electricity into
the electric grid which could seriously injure electric service line personnel
who are working to restore power); avoid all downed wires, even a telephone or
cable wire can be in contact with a power line some distance away and it could
be a live wire; as power is being restored, conserve and turn on only necessary
appliances; and monitor local media for recovery announcements and power
restoration updates.
LIPA’s Web Site Offers a Wealth of Information
LIPA’s Web site, www.lipower.org, offers a wealth of information to help
organize and implement a disaster preparedness plan. It’s also good to have one
in place for a business. In addition to the storm preparation sections contained
on the site, links are also available to other resources such as the American
and local Red Cross chapters, the National Hurricane Center, local news
organizations, and state emergency response sites.
Make Emergency Planning a Family Project
The best way to plan for an emergency is to get the entire family involved. Each
person should be given a role to play with very specific responsibilities. Mom
and Dad can take care of the big items, but the children can take care of their
own personal items and family pets, for example.
“The key question that everyone should be prepared to answer is, ‘Am I
prepared to survive a natural disaster that could leave me and my family without
power and normal conveniences for at least a week?’” said Mr. Kessel. “If the
answer is NO, then there’s an urgent need to prepare. If the answer is yes, then
be a good neighbor and help a senior in the neighborhood, or someone else who
could use help to prepare.
“Being prepared not only brings peace of mind as a storm approaches,” said
Mr. Kessel, “being prepared can save lives and lessen the stress experienced
during the storm recovery phase, which helps everyone cope with an extraordinary
situation.” |
