Queens Residents Exasperated As Power Outages Linger Days After Tropical Storm Isaias
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Three days after Tropical Storm Isaias, and across the Tri-State Area there are still many homes and businesses who are without power.
In Flushing, Queens, downed power lines and damage from the storm has left many residents without electricity for days.
The destruction is widespread in Flushing, reported CBS2's Kevin Rincon. Trees knocked down power lines, landed on homes and crushed cars.
"That's devastating, across the street there, very, very nasty. Terrible," said Grace Dunn, referring to a downed tree.
For Dunn, the storm was unlike anything she's ever seen.
"We know it was coming. Did we think it was gonna be this bad? No," she said.
Her neighbor watched as the winds whipped through. What was on her mind?
"Holy cow, there was a lot of damage. A lot," the neighbor said.
Photos: Tropical Storm Isaias Leaves Path Of Destruction
That was Tuesday. It took until Friday for the city to send someone to clean up, when they deputized FDNY. Armed with chainsaws and a small tractor, they cleared the road. The crew was one of 25 units set up by the city's Office of Emergency Management. They'll try and clear some 10,000 downed trees reported in Queens alone.
"I just want somebody to come and take the tree," said Flushing resident Teresa Kanaval.
Kanaval had a tree come down on her roof. Her nephew says the timeline for removal is anywhere from six days to a month.
"I spoke to someone at Con Ed who's a supervisor who goes, 'Your house is not a priority. There's nothing in your house that's a priority,'" said Flushing resident Kenneth Rocca.
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For Rocca, the concern is about more than just his property. His mother Mary Ann, who also lives there, is a diabetic with a lung condition. Her medication is being kept cold in a refrigerator powered by an extension cord plugged into a neighbor's house. They've also relied on dry ice.
Con Ed set up several distribution centers for dry ice, and a number of people on those lines voiced frustration over the ongoing outages. Some believe they have nothing to do with the storm.
For now, Con Ed has been trying to restore power to tens of thousands. The utility says it has more than 1,600 field employees at work. It's also getting the help of more than 800 workers from as far away as Texas, Florida and Wisconsin.
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