While about 80,000 homes in New York remain without power, most are dark because they are damaged and utilities cannot safely restore power to them - not because of any delays on the utilities' part, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday.
The governor said that Consolidated Edison and the Long Island Power Authority have restored power to “98 to 99 percent†of the homes that they are able to.
Mr. Cuomo said that 29,000 homes in the Rockaways, 17,000 in Nassau and 12,000 in Brooklyn were still deemed so damaged that “if they power the electric system you could do more harm than good.â€
Saltwater damage to electrical circuits, open gas lines and other damage all present risks of fire and explosion that must be fixed before current can safely be restored to the house, he said.
“There are some people who are not going to get their power back because it is not a power issue any longer, it is a housing issue,†Mr. Cuomo said.
The pace of repairs has been slow, as homeowners have found electricians and other contractors so inundated with storm-related work that it can take weeks to get someone to simply show up. In an effort to speed up that process in the city, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled a program that starts Tuesday in which homeowners who register will have a contractor assigned to handle whatever work needs to be done.
They mayor also signed an emergency order on Monday waiving all Department of Buildings application and permit fees for repair work to buildings damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
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