Phone companies start checking storm damage

Phone and cable companies are still assessing the damage in the storm-hit areas of the East Coast amid widespread reports of phone outages in flooded areas.

Cablevision, which serves parts of Long Island, New York City and New Jersey, says it's experiencing widespread outages due to the loss of power.

Verizon Communications, the biggest phone company in the region, says some facilities in downtown Manhattan are flooded, shutting down phone and Internet service. The company doesn't yet know the extent of outages in New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the storm.

AT&T says there are "issues" in hard-hit areas, and it's in the early stages of checking for damage and restoring service.