Half-million sitting in the dark in Connecticut
(CBS News) STONINGTON, Conn. - Throughout the Northeast, an army of utility workers is out Tuesday night, beginning work to restore power.
They face a long battle -- block by block, town by town.
In Connecticut, more than a half-million homes and businesses lost power.
Utility crews prepared to restore electricity, while residents on Diving Street prepared for something else.
David Stevenson said he thinks he'll be without power "at least a week. They are saying a least a week. Maybe 10 days."
The hurricane blasted Stevenson's neighborhood and pushed its pier into a pile on diving street.
Sandy slams East Coast; Millions without power
State-by-state snapshot of Sandy's effects
Bus service a small sign of normalcy for NYC
Firefighters pumped out flooded basements, but the problem that worried Amy Nicholas most was no electricity.
"The trees - the trees went down. There are so many trees down in the park where all the power-lines are," Nicholas said.
About 94 percent of Stonington is without power.
Diving Street neighbor David Forrest remembers how long it took to get electricity restored after Hurricane Irene.
"I think it's better than last year when we kept thinking it was going to be everyday we were going to get power back," Forrest said.
Just next door, Susan Crow said she's prepared for a number of rough days.
"You can have a shower, but it's a cold shower. You have no hot water. Of course you have nothing to cook with," Crow said.
Down the street, utility contractor Rusty Maxwell said he was too busy to stop for long.
"The power company has to go evaluate all the feeders and power sources and go from there," Maxwell said.
Utility crews are up against giant trees on top of power lines. These trees have to be removed before power can be restored.
