Millions of people are still out of power following Saturday's east coast snow storm that swept the Northeast, leaving more people in the dark than Hurricane Irene.
A blizzard of snow hit hard on Oct.29, breaking records for timing and velocity as it blasted from West Virginia to Maine. The storm tore down trees and power lines, at its peak leaving three million people out of power in Hartford, Conn., according to Bloomberg.
The storm that caused 12 deaths on its path has left over two million houses stillout of power, two days after it hit.
Damage is widespread, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said at a news conference on Monday in Hartford. We're talking about long-term loss of energy for up to a week in a large swath of the state.
Despite utility companies warning of the long clean-up process, United Illuminating has told its customers that all services will be restored by Monday evening.
Hundreds of state roads have been closed in Connecticut, due to fallen trees and power lines. Many schools were closed on Monday due to the obstruction on the roads. While many children were delighted by the news at first, they quickly became disheartened after officials warned parents to keep children from trick-or-treating after dark.
In Worcester, Mass., the city asked parents, schools and neighbors to postpone Halloween celebrations until Thursday, when the weather was expected to be warmer and downed trees and power lines would likely be cleared, Reuters reported.
Around 156,000 customers have been restored with service, according to Jeffery Butler, COO of COO of Connecticut Light & Power. The main problem remains the 18 transmission lines that have been damaged and need to be energized to restore power to substations, which was not an issue during Irene, he said.
New York City received 2.9 inches, the biggest October snowfall since records were first kept in 1869, according to the National Weather Service. Before yesterday, the city hadn't received as much as an inch during October since the 19th century, Bloomberg reported.
A National Grid electric worker repairs power lines, two days after an early snowfall in Worcester, Massachusetts October 31, 2011. Devastation from a rare and deadly October snowstorm lingered in the Northeast on Monday, leaving 2.2 million houses without power, closing schools, snarling the morning commute and postponing Halloween fun.ReutersA tree crew work to remove downed trees from wires, two days after an early snowfall in Northborough, Massachusetts October 31, 2011. Devastation from the rare and deadly October snowstorm lingered in the Northeast on Monday, leaving 2.2 million houses without power, closing schools, and snarling the morning commute.ReutersA large tree falls on top of a car after an early snowfall in Worcester, Massachusetts October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm bore down on the heavily populated Northeast on Saturday into Sunday, with some areas bracing for up to a foot of snow and major power outages. Reutersim Carter uses a chainsaw to cut up a tree that brought down a fence and blocked part of Union Valley Road, West Milford township, New Jersey, October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm barreled up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, cutting power to more than two million households, forcing cancellation of scores of airline flights and causing at least three deaths. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts declared weather emergencies because of the storm. ReutersDowned wires and branches block the road in Larchmont, New York October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm barreled up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, cutting power to more than two million households, forcing cancellation of scores of airline flights and causing at least three deaths. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts declared weather emergencies because of the storm. ReutersAn electric company worker repairs power lines in Larchmont, New York October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm barreled up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, cutting power to more than two million households, forcing cancellation of scores of airline flights and causing at least three deaths. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts declared weather emergencies because of the storm. ReutersBoston fire fighters battle an apartment complex, five-alarm blaze in the early hours of October 30, 2011 during the height of a snow storm that moved up the United States eastern seaboard. Transportation in the Northeast was hard-hit on Sunday by a rare October snowstorm that also cut power to more than 2 million homes and killed at least three people.ReutersBoston fire fighters battle an apartment complex, five-alarm blaze in the early hours of October 30, 2011 during the height of a snow storm that moved up the United States eastern seaboard. Transportation in the Northeast was hard-hit on Sunday by a rare October snowstorm that also cut power to more than 2 million homes and killed at least three peopleReutersSnow.ReutersA view of a pumpkin patch covered in snow is seen in Portsmouth, New Hampshire October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm barreled up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, cutting power to more than two million households, forcing cancellation of scores of airline flights and causing at least three deaths. Reuters
