#Windstorm Aftermath Neither RG&E nor NYSEG could say on Thursday when power will be restored to the more than 130,000 customers who lost it during Wednesday's windstorm , but the utilities warned that it could take - gulp - several days. (As we write this, Webster has the greatest percentage of RG&E customers without power: 67.) Unfortunately, colder weather is on the way. Friday's temperature could plunge to 11 degrees. Also, even if you didn't lose power, you still could. When crews are fixing burning wires, they often have to shut down a switch, causing outages. This menacing photo of a cross hanging by a thread atop downtown Rochester's St. Mary's Church would seem to sum up our situation pretty well. Except things aren't ALL bad. Miraculously, there have been no reports of injuries. Neighbors are really stepping up to help each other. Every single Wegmans store is open. The St. Patrick's Day Parade is still a go! Silver linings, people. Silver linings. http://13wham.com/news/top-stories/long-pond-latta-roads-still-closed-6-days-after-windstorm Poles on MT. Reed Blvd. Video of workers on Long Pond South of Latta. Poles in Ales Bay, 1000 Islands that are actually in worse shape than Monroe Countys Greece, N.Y. - The area along Long Pond Road near Latta Road remains closed, six days after a windstorm downed power lines and trees. However, the road isn't staying closed because of a power outage. According to Liberty Underground, utility crews had cut through Frontier telephone lines while working on righting downed poles. Now, 4,200 wires need to be repaired in four different places before the intersection can be back up and running. While crews are working, ice fishing huts are being used to protect the workers and keep the wires warm. For safety, the road must remain closed until work is complete. Storm totals: 600+ broken poles. 101,000 customers out of power. Today: 53,000 Still out of power. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/03/08/rochesters-windstorm-decade-wreaks-havoc/98919752/ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/03/18/editorial-okay-ask-if-rge-prepared-windstorm/99298600/ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/andreatta/2017/03/17/andreatta-rge-old-utility-poles/99306686/ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/03/11/gov-andrew-cuomo-decries-rge-after-windstorm-response/99056688/ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/03/16/winter-storm-2017-town-costs-webster-greece/99250800/ Editorial Board Published 8:04 a.m. ET March 18, 2017 | Updated 9:38 a.m. ET March 18, 2017 The D&C Editorial Board extends its gratitude to those working through the storm. Julie Philipp Buy Photo (Photo: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) 18 CONNECTTWEETLINKEDIN 2 COMMENTEMAILMORE (Expletive) Cuomo. That's the Facebook post of an elementary school teacher after Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to Rochester and called for an investigation into how well RG&E responded to the March 8 windstorm which, at its peak, left more than 125,000 area homes and businesses without power. The teacher was not alone. The Democrat and Chronicle received dozens of emails from people who were angry with the governor. Many demanded he apologize to all of the utility crews out working long hours in the cold, wind and a few days later – snow. "How dare he blame the utility company for not being prepared for the latest wind storm?" one irate writer asked. But, that is not what Cuomo did. He said we should ask if it was prepared. And while there have been many times that we, too, have expressed our displeasure (in slightly more civil language) with the governor, this is not one of them. There should be an investigation into how RG&E responded to the windstorm. Exclusive: Was Rochester Gas and Electric prepared for the windstorms? Andreatta: RG&E behind in replacing old poles More: Gov. Cuomo critical of RG&E's windstorm response More: Storm cleanup to cost millions Neither we, nor the governor, are calling for an investigation into whether the workers on the front line those who put in new poles, strung new wire, and turned our lights back on did their jobs. We know they did. And, we are immensely grateful that these folks are willing to take on this potentially dangerous work. They leave their families for days on end, and their lives are disrupted as much, if not more, than the lives of those who were without electricity. But we should know if the utility, owned by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, had done all that it should have done to be ready for unexpected, violent weather and that it sent crews out in the most equitable and responsible manner. We should answer the frustrations of those without power who waited for days for an estimated restoration time, continually being told that RG&E was "assessing" the situation. RG&E is not a public entity, so it is not required to be as transparent and accountable as it would if it were operated by the government. Because it has so much power over its customers' lives, however, the law provides for examinations of its management and operations by the state Public Service Commission. In 2012, the last major state audit, investigators identified lots of room for improved efficiency and effectiveness. The auditors "found many problems in the area of work management." They noted cuts in the call center were based solely on the company's bottom line, with no thought as to what optimal staffing levels should be. Auditors felt the company was keeping too few workers on staff, and relying too heavily on contractors without proper quality controls in place. All of the concerns raised in the audit may very well have been remedied. We don't know. A year after the audit was released, the state's now defunct Moreland Commission criticized the PSC's oversight of its audits. A smattering of followups to the Iberdrola audit indicate the company was making headway. But, when reporters from the Democrat and Chronicle this week attempted to get answers to specific questions, the company was far from forthcoming. This may simply be a communications issue. Or, it may be a sign that our community is not being served as well as it could be. Someone should ask. So we, and the governor, are. |