In Park Slope, as temperatures stayed frigid, neighbors became first responders.
What You Need To Know
Councilmember Shahana Hanif’s office called for volunteers to do wellness checks, knocking on doors, to make sure people were safe in the cold
According to Con Edison, the melting snow and a road salt mixture damaged underground electrical wiring, causing the outage
If customers have been impacted by the outage, they may be entitled to reimbursement for spoiled food or medication
“For people who needed it, we got them blankets, flashlights, water, and that’s what’s really important, that our community came out to stand up for our community members who need a little help right now,” Matthew Malloy, the chief of staff for Councilmember Shahana Hanif, said.
With some residents without power since Friday, Hanif’s office called for volunteers to do wellness checks, knocking on doors, to make sure people were safe in the cold.
“It was a shock coming home from work and waking up in the morning and being cold,” impacted resident Darryl Robinson said.
Robinson’s power returned around 2 p.m. Tuesday after being out since Friday.
“The heat is moderate, the heat is moderate. As long as the electricity is coming up, that’s good,” Robinson said.
According to Con Edison, the melting snow and a road salt mixture damaged underground electrical wiring, causing the outage, which left more than 1,600 customers without power at its peak before dropping to about 100 by Tuesday evening.
Residents told volunteers, even as crews worked, that clear timelines were hard to come by.
“It’s just evident how many people are struggling to get answers, struggling to get any insight from Con Edison about what the timeline was going to be,” volunteer Benjamin Waltman said.
“It’s total desperation and a real feeling that they have been left behind,” Malloy said.
Now Hanif’s office says the focus is on oversight and accountability as crews continue restoring the last remaining outages.
“It’s unacceptable. So Councilmember Hanif has put out a public call demanding that Con Ed issue bill credits to make up for the suffering that these residents, our constituents, have endured,” Malloy said.
If customers have been impacted by the outage, they may be entitled to reimbursement for spoiled food or medication.