'We just want them to stop lying' - Residents still without power 6 days after Isaias feeling fed up

Thousands across Long Island were still waiting for PSEGLI to complete restoration in there neighborhood Tuesday.

News 12 Staff

Aug 10, 2020, 4:25 PM

Updated 1,618 days ago

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People from across Long Island are still without power six days after Isaias rocked the area, and many are feeling more and more angry about PSEG's response and communication.
As of Monday evening, about 13,000 people across Long Island who lost power on the day of Isaias were still waiting for PSEGLI to complete restoration in their neighborhood Monday. The utility is estimating all customers will have power by Wednesday.
But PSEGLI now says it is tracking additional outages reported in the days following Isaias' landfall, bringing the overall number of outages to 42,000. Though not all of the outages might be storm-related, PSEG says it is "recognizing that some of these jobs tie back to Tuesday's storm."
Customers say they've gotten the run-around from PSEG, saying the utility promised power would be restored at a certain time and day, but that promise has been broken many times.
In Commack, many power lines and trees can be seen still down, while generators hum along many blocks. And all the while, neighbors say PSEG trucks are nowhere to be found.
"We are so frustrated, we just want them to stop lying to us. I mean the biggest issue for us is we're not even on the map. So we've had no power for a week now, and we call them and call them and they keep telling us, 'don't worry, you're going to be fine,'" says Lisa Feit.
Feit lives on Abbey Drive, and says her whole block is without power. But across the street on Valmont Lane, everyone has their power back.
"Every neighborhood has a spot like this and they're not doing anything about it," says Feit.
PSEG has faced a heap of criticism from residents and elected officials every day since the storm hit. Complaints have specifically focused on communication, with PSEG's outage map being incorrect and customers having trouble calling or texting the utility.
In Kings Park, Daniel Tobias is without power, something he needs for his son's power-operated wheelchair.
"He needs special things to bathe, he needs special things to eat, he needs special things just to live," says Tobias.
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