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Roadblock to power restoration on LI?

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    LIPA requiring new safety evaluations

  • Duration 4:28
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And speaking of sandy thousands of residents are -- -- and New York have been battling their electric company over the super storm.

That knocked out power twelve days ago with no end in sight.

The Long Island power authority commonly known as light decided that after -- yet they would require all homes and businesses in the area.

To have new inspections done.

Before they -- restore any electrical service this is who I was doing yesterday I hear ya I well yesterday after increased pressure -- but decided to scrap that evaluation plan.

But they -- announced that many in the area will be without power through Thanksgiving.

If you can believe it secured Dawson is the town of -- Advisor and former Homeland Security official Tom -- she Tom thanks so much for being here next -- to give an academic people on long islanders.

Without power -- close to 300000 still without power and in our town about 121800.

Why.

That's a good question the towns have done everything they're supposed to do we did these inspections -- nature of the homes in our estimation where safest possible.

And then the rules were changed in the middle of the game.

So do you sense of with a light but -- -- the has now become the bad guy and for good reason we're now day eleven into this.

Were they just -- woefully ill prepared before hand it did this.

Was this such a big storm that nobody could ever been prepared what you gotta do.

Yeah absolutely it.

The lessons we learned after Hurricane Katrina in my time at the White House and homeland Security Council staff was that you prepositioning assets you coordinate before these things.

Come into the area before the -- the zone is impacted you do the pre coordination -- pre stage assets.

Video teleconference in from the white house with all the federal agencies.

Putting those because those -- those resources in place before the storm hits they -- At a polls.

They don't have enough polls to replace the broken poles aren't they don't have water they don't have -- the array of information they don't have a -- -- -- the communications apparatus.

I understand what you governors basically hostage to these people.

He is acting like a outraged.

Resident where he should be taking action demanding.

Something to change their faces bureaucracy a monopoly that operates without incentives or sanctions.

No kidding they were before and they are after and now they're -- where were -- Well some of those -- coordination meetings with the national government.

Would be with the state emergency operations centers getting an idea from the state what resources do you have did that take place I have no idea I really big -- -- -- level.

It's certainly did not.

Seeing one of the most maddening things for people about this I can speak to this -- -- in Connecticut we were without power for seven days right but the one comfort.

Was that you could call Connecticut light and power which people were also complaining about their response that you called at any time -- any human being would answer that was comforting.

The light is not -- -- -- signal our residents stopped calling like but they're calling their towns they're calling their local officials because life is not picking up the phone.

They handed me card yesterday they should be home in the inspection like at this thing called the job right we don't have any -- -- -- at their house busy don't wanna dot.

So we can never be there's wanted to get -- don't worry call this number.

Busy.

At this number does it legal what we sit -- are supposed to be busy -- -- when I was so we're gonna have a breakthrough year top.

You served in the navy you've worked in war zones in Third World countries you're saying right now this is like a Third World country.

We have the same -- failure of infrastructure that you would see in places that have been ravaged -- -- -- My natural disaster -- manmade disaster like a war zone.

You have people won't leave their homes and rightly so this is America this is New York they shouldn't have to leave their homes but they have no power they have no he.

And you know to somebody who has no power and heat a snowstorm like we just had yesterday is not a pretty thing.

Tom very quickly because I -- that he -- -- -- back and Homeland Security also.

This storm has -- how long -- -- we are to any sort of attack -- absolutely.

It's expose how.

Delicate art infrastructure is sixty miles from the greatest sitting in the world but we have to prepare there's still you can't anticipate a store but you can't anticipate damaged and no the preparations weren't done.

And for anyone to take a battle after this storm reaction is absolutely sinful we have been up for 250 hours as a as a local government.

Doing what we've always heard the federal government said we should do.

Be prepared for three days to take care your people for three days until we can get those resources and what weren't -- twelfth -- -- Tom brushing your from the time I just look at supervisor thanks so much for coming in with the update for a second rabbits that are.

Immediately thank you.

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