Irene Was Lesson in Preparedness, Mayor Says

It's been one year since Hurricane Irene swept through Glen Cove and left many without power for as long as five days.

The city learned a few things from the experience about minimizing the impact from future storms, said Mayor Ralph Suozzi.

"We've taken our own precautions to eliminate hazardous conditions," Suozzi said, citing the removal of several old trees at the S-curve on Red Spring Lane that were across the street from a number of utility poles and power lines.

He also noted the city's examination of single road emergency routes in several places, with the goal of opening more routes to emergency vehicles.

Another important aspect is improved communication with the Long Island Power Authority, Suozzi said. After Irene, he called LIPA's acting CEO and asked about a debriefing for local municipal officials, which was provided. LIPA officias talked at that meeting about and what could be done better.

LIPA has been called on a number of occasions to inspect utility poles around the city which appear to lean or have other problems, and Suozzi said the company has been "very responsive."

Suozzi also said he has learned how different sections of the city are wired, which explained why some residents lost power while others nearby did not.

Things like redundant wiring and old transformers were identified as potential problems, and the city has sought to run wires underground where possible, Suozzi said.

Infrastructure and technology improvements have been sought where possible, he said, including improving drainage in some areas. He cited work done on Viola Drive, where the county was asked to investigate a pump, and said flooding that had been regular was averted during the last storm.