The Town of Hempstead has been doing a stellar job of removing refuge from the effects of Hurricane Sandy in Point Lookout, NY. Workers are seen loading trucks on Lido Blvd in front of JoJo Apples Cafe.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Continues in Point Lookout, NY 11569
The Town of Hempstead has been doing a stellar job of removing refuge from the effects of Hurricane Sandy in Point Lookout, NY. Workers are seen loading trucks on Lido Blvd in front of JoJo Apples Cafe.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Power Returns To Point Lookout, NY
On Friday afternoon power began to return for residents south of Lido Boulevard in Point Lookout, NY. Over the course of few hours, power was returned to the entire town.
Earlier today, residents congregated at the PL/Lido Firehouse for the noon briefing which indicated that power would be restored by 6PM.
If you have not returned to Point Lookout, you are instructed to fill out a request for inspection at the firehouse. Crews from National Grid are also restoring gas service. If any part of your mechanical systems were compromised by the tidal surge, you may need to have those systems evaluated by a heating/electrical professional before operating those systems.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Residents Urged to Return to Point Lookout for Electrical Inspection
The Point Lookout Chamber spoke with Chas Thompson who is the commissioner of the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department on Thursday November 8, 2012. He is urging residents to return to Point Lookout at their earliest convenience for home inspections in order to restore power. He also urged residents to attend daily briefings at the Point Lookout Firehouse each day at noon. On Thursday, there were 60 volunteers at the firehouse that were available to accompany homeowners to residences to conduct the inspections.
All residences and buildings in the Point Lookout and Lido Beach communities are required to have an electrical inspection completed before power will be resotered by LIPA. You may hire your own licensed electrician or take advantage of a partnership Nassau County has with a private contractor, Empire Electrical, free of charge.
Representatives will be visiting all locations door-to-door to conduct Post-Hurricane Sandy Electrical Surveys in preparation. To take advantage of the no-cost inspections, property owners must only sign a company liability waiver. You may download and print copies of the Survey and Liability waiver here:
Breakdown of Local Government in Nassau County
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| Where is County Executive Ed Mangano? |
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce appreciates the inquiries and comments that have been sent voicing your needs and concerns in the restoration of utilities in Point Lookout. We understand that many people are suffering throughout Nassau County, some have greater obstacles to overcome, some less.
In an attempt to systematically address the restoration of power, the Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce has requested a comprehensive plan from local and county government to inform residents of a process to restore utilities. As of today, it appears that the Point Lookout/Lido Fire Department serves as the only form of local government. Our requests for a 5K generator to be delivered and a fuel distribution point be set up by the National Guard remains unanswered.
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce spoke with legislator Denise Ford on Thursday November 8, 2012 to discuss the situation in Point Lookout, NY. In that conversation, Denise Ford suggested that there has been a total breakdown in communication between the Town of Hempstead and Ed Magano, the County Executive.
At this point The Point Lookout/Lido Fire department serves the role of local government with meetings and updates daily at the firehouse.
We will continue advocating to the local and state government for more accountability in this situation and a speedy recovery of power.
Richard Zampella
VP & Communications Director
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
More Controversy Caused by LIPA in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
A controversy is erupting in relationship to restoring power throughout Nassau County which effects Point Lookout, NY. Over the past few days we have tendered many questions relating to the restoration of gas and electrical service in the community. The most common question is when service will be restored, followed by questions pertaining to the process to have utilities restored to homes and businesses. LIPA, whose power map has incorrectly indicated that Point Lookout has electricity restored all week, has determined that homes & business in their determined "flood zone" will require inspection before re-establishing gas & electricity service.Many Nassau residents have questions concerning power restoration in areas that have experienced flooding during Hurricane Sandy. Neighbors want to know whether LIPA, the county, towns or villages are responsible for executing a power restoration plan to homes and other buildings in those “flood zones.”
In essence, LIPA would place the burden to restore service on the account holder. They would require that you contact them and expect you to sit in the cold & dark until they can conduct their inspection. Instead, the Point Lookout/Lido Fire Department has initiated inspections this week in Point Lookout.
Information for Point Lookout Residents Looking to Restore Gas & Electric Service
Many Nassau residents have questions concerning power restoration in areas that have experienced flooding during Hurricane Sandy. Neighbors want to know whether LIPA, the county, towns or villages are responsible for executing a power restoration plan to homes and other buildings in those “flood zones.”
What’s Happening/Who’s Affected?
As a necessary safety measure to protect homes from extremely serious dangers associated with electrical wiring which has become wet, LIPA has designated geographic areas where flooding was widespread during Hurricane Sandy. Homes and other structures within those areas are required to have electrical systems inspected before LIPA can safely restore power.
The properties affected by the inspection requirement are all structures south of Merrick Road and east of the Meadowbrook Parkway, as well as, all properties that are south of Atlantic Avenue and west of the Meadowbrook Parkway.
Some of the communities included in this area are:
Baldwin
Hewlett Neck
Oceanside
Baldwin Harbor
Inwood
Point Lookout
Cedarhurst
Island Park
Seaford
Barnum Island
Lawrence
South Valley Stream
East Rockaway
Lido Beach
Valley Stream
Hewlett
Long Beach
Wantagh
Hewlett Bay Park
Lynbrook
Woodmere
Hewlett Harbor
Merrick
Woodsburgh
Portions of the above communities that are north of Merrick Road that have experienced water intrusion into their electric facilities (or Atlantic Avenue, west of Freeport) are also subject to this requirement.
How Will My Electrical System Be Checked, Who Will Do the Work?
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano took the pro-active step of partnering with Empire Electrical Inspectors of New York, a private contractor, to assist LIPA in restoring power to homes throughout the County. The contractor will inspect the electrical systems of all structures in areas where flooding was widespread.
What If My Electrical System Is Okay?
If a building’s electrical system has not become wet, the private contractor will notify LIPA that electrical power can safely be restored.
What If My Electrical System Is Not Okay?
If an electrical system is determined to have become wet and the system cannot be re-energized safely, the homeowner will need to hire a licensed electrician to make necessary repairs. The electrician will them arrange for a private certified electrical inspector to perform an inspection and issue a certificate of inspection. The property owner would then supply a copy of the certificate to LIPA to have power restored.
The Good News: Inspections Are Free
The good news regarding the electrical inspections is that there is no cost to homeowners. Homeowners must only sign a company liability waiver to take advantage of the no-cost inspections.
When Will Inspections Occur?
Hundreds of people working under Empire Electrical Inspectors are going door-to-door now in communities in the areas described above and in other towns. Updated information on the time frame for the contractor to complete work in the town and the entire county will be forthcoming.
Do I Need Any Government Inspections?
Inspections of electrical systems are being performed by the private contractor. In the event repairs are required, no town inspections are required for direct replacement of electrical components. All repairs must be made by a licensed electrician. Homeowners will need to have a private certified electrical inspector examine repair work and provide an electrical inspection certificate before LIPA will restore power.
Re-Printed from the Point Lookout Civic Association
Monday, November 5, 2012
Letter from Legislator District 4 Denise Ford to The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce
I share your frustration as I am a resident in the West End of Long Beach. I did visit Point Lookout this morning to meet with your firefighters and I am working with them to get a representative from LIPA down to hear their concerns and hopefully expedite restoring the power to your neighborhood.
I will keep in touch with them but please continue to keep in touch with me. It may take a while before I can answer you as I do not have internet service where I live.
I will take a copy of this email home with me as it has your telephone number. I wish I could have given you a better response but I know that the County Executive is coordinating efforts to help our small businesses that have been impacted by this hurricane. If you do not get a response from him let me know and I will reach out on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Legislator Denise Ford
______________________________________________________________________________________
Reply From The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce to Denise Ford
Dear Ms Ford,
Thank you for your visit to Point Lookout this morning. As you can see the majority of businesses are prepared to reopen if they only had power. I was contacted by the office of Harvey Weisenberg this afternoon in Albany. In that conversation, I requested that the governor's office instruct the National Guard deploy a 5K generator and a fuel distribution point in Point Lookout, NY. I have not received a response to my specific request.
Governor Cuomo has indicated that help is available to the towns devastated by Hurricane Sandy. There is nothing to indicate that local government is capable of responding to any requests at this time. I will continue to keep you updated of developments in the community as they occur.
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce Website continues to serve as a source of information for the residents of Point Lookout. Currently the Point Lookout/Lido Fire Department has no means to disseminate information so a close liaison between your office and The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce Website would be an effective method to inform residents.
I appreciate your reply to my letter and trust you will advocate the delivery of generation equipment and fuel distribution for the residents of Point Lookout, NY.
Sincerely.
Richard Zampella
VP & Communications Director
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 917-280-6483 • Email: news@pointlookoutcommerce.com
www.plnychamber.com
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce Submits Appeal Letter to Governor Cuomo
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Cuomo,
On behalf of over 60 small businesses represented by the Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce, we find the LIPA response regarding the restoration of power to Point Lookout, NY to be unacceptable. Our trust in this public utility has been violated. Our business & residential community depends on this utility to function. Our community has been without power since October 29th and is immobilized as are other communities serviced by LIPA. Our residents have no heat, businesses are unable to serve our community or rebuild. Various reports suggest that power will not be restored anytime soon and statements have been made that LIPA will try to get back power on next weekend, November 11th!
County Executives and Governor Cuomo, I ask accountability of LIPA to put more action into getting Nassau County up and running. I also request that resources above and beyond getting power back that LIPA do something to help in the damage that has been caused by the amount of time the power has been off. If LIPA cannot serve its customers in a timely fashion then a substantive power generator should be sent to Point Lookout, NY and other Nassau County towns to restore our business districts and communities. Each day without power makes it more difficult for the businesses to rebound after this unprecedented disaster. It is your responsibility and obligation as an elected leader to respond to our business community and residents.
Your reply to this request in a manner other than an automated reply will determine how seriously you accept your responsibility as elected leaders. I invite all executives to visit our community of Point Lookout, NY to illustate that we are prepared to serve our community if LIPA would restore power. To our knowledge, no elected officials have visited. Our business community has been completely halted and our bayside businesses that have served our community for over 80 years have been destroyed. We have diligently attempted to restore our community with only limited resources. Our community shares the same barrier island as Long Beach, NY and would like to serve and help the re-building of our devastated next door neighbor, Long Beach, NY. Thank you in advance for your response.
Sincerely,
Richard Zampella
VP & Communications Director
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 917-280-6483 • Email: news@pointlookoutcommerce.com
www.plnychamber.com
PS, the LIPA outage map incorrectly shows that Point Lookout, NY has power!
CC:
Edward P. Mangano, County Executive
Kate Murray, Town of Hempstead Supervisor
Denise Ford, County Legislator
Harvey Weisenberg, Assemblyman
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Point Lookout, NY Chamber of Commerce Launches Interactive Blog
The Point Lookout Chamber of Commerce endeavors to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Point Lookout, NY. We welcome you to share any reports you have so that others may share in the information you provide.
Visit our interactive blog at:
http://pointlookoutcommerce.com/sandyblog
Post Hurricane Sandy Business Recovery in Point Lookout NY
For more information visit: http://www.pointlookoutcommerce.com/business_recovery.html
Friday, November 2, 2012
Post Hurricane Sandy Images of Point Lookout, NY
http://www.pointlookoutcommerce.com/hurricane_sandy_post_storm.html
Food, Drink Distribution in Point Lookout, NY
FEMA’s Points of Distribution (PODs) are located throughout the north and south shores of Nassau County. Locations include:
SOUTH SHORE
Point Lookout: Point Lookout Lido Fire Department, 102 Lido Blvd., Point Lookout
For the latest updates on the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Point Lookout, NY visit:
http://www.pointlookoutcommerce.com/hurricane_sandy.html
Representatives of the Indiana Task Force 1 from FEMA are in Point Lookout, NY
Representatives of the Indiana Task Force 1 from FEMA went door to door to check on the safety of residents on Thursday, Nov 1, 2012, in Point Lookout, N.Y. Point Lookout was one of several communities that was affected by Superstorm Sandy. / Kathy Kmonicek / Associated Press
For the latest updates on the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Point Lookout, NY visit:
http://www.pointlookoutcommerce.com/hurricane_sandy.html
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Sandy-Damaged Point Lookout, NY, Stranded By Agency Disorganization
LONG BEACH, N.Y. -- Jenny Kastner couldn’t conceal her frustration. After three days spent waiting for local, state and federal officials to address what she saw as the most pressing need in this Long Island community -- food and water to thousands of residents living in cold, dark homes, many without any communication to the outside world -- she couldn’t believe that the first Red Cross truck she had seen was setting up operations in a windswept beach parking lot five miles from town.
“This doesn’t work!” she said, loudly, to one of the workers. “People who need help can’t get here.”
Kastner, and her daughter, Liza Womack, began loading cardboard boxes full of ham and cheese sandwiches, bags of apples and bottles of water into Womack’s car, which had barely escaped the flood damage that rendered thousands of other vehicles here useless. Then they drove off to the low-income neighborhood of single-family homes and public housing projects to distribute the supplies where they were most needed.
Hurricane Sandy hammered this beach community of about 35,000 people on the Atlantic Ocean Monday night. The town still has no power and no running water. Dark, fetid sewer water fills many basements. Most others haven’t been properly cleaned of the water that surged into their homes. Those few residents in the poor neighborhoods of town who owned cars saw them swallowed up, and disabled, by the salty water.
“We’ve got no transportation, no phone service, it's just not a good time,” said Danielle Conan, a Long Beach resident, as she gratefully accepted a sandwich and some other food dropped off by the mother-daughter team.
In interviews over the course of an afternoon, residents said they were frustrated with the official response, which has seemed haphazard, and focused at times on the wrong priorities.
“The response is not about getting help to human beings,” Kastner said. “It’s just yelling at us and telling us to get out of town.”
The previous evening, a dozen National Guard soldiers had stood guard as three of their number distributed water to a long line of waiting residents, according to several who said they felt treated as if they were a threat, rather than victims of a natural disaster.
Authorities were also failing to communicate basic information, such as where to find food and water, locals said. Televisions are dark and cell phone service is spotty, at best. Downtown on Thursday, dozens of state and local police and officials from a variety of New York agencies milled around, but residents said they weren’t getting out into the community to answer people’s questions.
The interplay between various local, state and federal agencies at ground level in Long Beach is difficult to determine, meaning it is unclear whose job it is to communicate with residents and to make sure everyone knows about locations to pick up food and water. But the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management is likely playing a leading role. Calls to the agency Thursday afternoon weren't returned, and an email sent Thursday evening wasn't immediately returned.
Part of the problem seems to be the inevitable breakdown in communication that happens when different units are dispatched to an area with different missions, some from other parts of the country.
As a result, neighbors are relying on each other for information, which often proves wrong. Chrissy Bregali drove her sister and brother-in-law to City Hall after hearing a rumor that the Red Cross was distributing $250 in cash assistance to needy residents. That rumor proved false.
“Why aren’t they distributing these?” Bregali asked, holding a flyer that contained some basic information about services that she had just picked up from a police officer. Bregali said she hadn’t heard about the food distribution center in the beach parking lot. The flyer didn’t say anything about it.
The National Guard is patrolling neighborhoods, but their primary mission is security. The soldiers intimidate many residents, and they often don’t know the answer to questions about food and water distribution, locals said.
In a parking lot in the nearby community of Point Lookout, about seven miles away at the tip of the peninsula, a reporter encountered a weary search-and-rescue FEMA team dispatched from Indiana. These rescue workers, all firemen, had worked long hours since they arrived two days ago to make sure no one was still trapped by the storm. But they weren’t equipped to distribute food or water aid. They had only a 1-800 number for people to call if they asked about aid.
Though many residents expressed frustration with authorities, some seemed to be coping better than others.
Standing outside the fire station in Point Lookout, Donna Walsh said she was getting by on peanut butter and Fluffernutter sandwiches. “I haven’t seen my landlord since before the storm, but otherwise it's not too bad,” she said.
Across the street, a worker hosing off the floor of the flooded Apples Café unleashed an expletive-laden tirade when asked how he was coping. “How the f--- does it look like things are going?” he yelled, waving around the hose. “Where the f--- are our government officials?”
Back in Long Beach, one official, who declined to give his name because he said he was not authorized to speak to the press, said that authorities were doing the best that they could and that ensuring public safety and getting power and sewer services restored was a top priority. The official said that food and water distribution was already improving.
And indeed, by Thursday afternoon that seemed to be the case. In the parking lot of a darkened, but still open Wauldbaum’s grocery store on the main business strip, long lines of Long Beach residents were queuing at two Red Cross trucks which had just arrived and were distributing small bags of food.
One of the trucks was the same one that Kastner had earlier admonished to move closer to the center of town. Someone, it turns out, may have been listening after all.
UPDATE: A spokesman for Nassau County's Office of Emergency Management said in an email that that the office distributes water and MRE's to the city, which then distributes the supplies to residents. The office has no jurisdiction over the local authorities, he said.
For the current post Hurricane Sandy updates for Point Lookout, NY Visit us at:
http://www.pointlookoutcommerce.com/hurricane_sandy.html
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