Although hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it made its way up the East Coast of the U.S., making landfall on Long Island on Saturday, Aug. 27, it left a path of downed trees and power lines as it crossed the Island headed toward New England. According to LIPA officials, approximately 500,000 customers in Nassau County lost power due to the storm.
Emergency crews from surrounding states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania arrived on Long Island just hours before Irene plowed through. Staging for National Guard, Emergency Rescue services and power restoration teams were centered in Farmingdale, at Republic Airport and the newly opened military reserve center at the Armory. More than two days after the storm had passed, some Farmingdale residents were still without power.
