Power Outages Strike Brooklyn and Queens as Heat Wave Continues

By Chelsia Rose Marcius and Maya Shwayder on June 22, 2012 11:06am

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NEW YORK CITY— Power outages struck neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens Friday, Con Edison said.

Roughly 1,700 customers were without power by mid-morning due to the ongoing heat wave that has seen temperatures soaring near triple digits for three straight days, the utility said. Of the customers without power, 1,400 were in Brooklyn and the rest were in Queens.

Con Ed had an outreach van at 50th Street between 14th and 15th avenues in Borough Park to help residents with any issues until power there was restored.

Borough Park resident Berta Brecher, 85, said her power went out at 3 p.m. on Thursday and came back Friday at 7 a.m.

"It was very hard, hot and scary," she said. "Everybody left my building. It was just me, and the super left."

The utility also reduced power to several neighborhoods in both boroughs to repair broken electrical equipment.

Avrum Rubin, 25, of Borough Park, who was affected by "voltage reduction" said he, his wife and two children were trying to decrease their use of electricity while still keeping cool.

"I try to close more lights but it doesn't help so much," he said, noting it was still hot in the dark. He also turned off his high energy air conditioner for one that takes less power to operate.

Other affected neighborhoods in Brooklyn included: Flatbush, Lefferts Gardens, Prospect Heights, Canarsie, Flatlands, Mill Basin, Old Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Borough Park, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Midwood, East New York, Cypress Hills, Highland Park, City Line and Starrett City.

Roughly 70 customers were affected in South Williamsburg, according to Con Edison's website.

Hershey Deutsch, owner of Remedies Pharmachy on Bedford Avenue and Wallabout Street, said his power was still out on Friday afternoon after nearly 24 hours, making it difficult to help customers without his computer system.

"I don't know if they've got prescriptions or if they haven't got prescriptions," he said. "Everyone has been rushing around since this morning."

Meredith, 6, visiting New York from Massachusetts, waits patiently for a drink from a water cannon at J.J. Byrne playground on Fifth Avenue.

Con Ed had an outreach van at 50th Street between 14th and 15th avenues in Borough Park to help residents with any issue...

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DNAinfo/Chelsia Marcius

In the Orthodox Jewish communities of Borough Park and South Williamsburg, many families were scrambling to prepare for the Sabbath at sundown, after which time they can no longer switch on electrical appliances.

"[My kids] have been complaining and sweating," said Williamsburg resident Hannah B., who declined to give her last name. "I don't know what I'll do if the AC is not on by Shabbat. I might go to a hotel."

In Queens, affected areas were: Broad Channel, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Kew Gardens.

Alfonso Quiroz, a spokesperson for Con Edison, said that the some of the affected areas were not experiencing complete outages but had less power than normal.

“We’re asking people to absolutely conserve,” he said. “Don’t run an AC too long, make sure the doors are closed, do not leave iPads plugged in because it continues to pull power."

The city's heat wave saw the mercury soar Wednesday and Thursday, with the heat index making it feel like temperatures reached triple digits. Friday's high was expected to reach roughly 94 degrees, according the National Weather Service.

“We have 8 million people in this city, and it continues to pull," Quiroz said of the pressure on the city's electricity supply. "Simple things like this are where we need them to cut back.”

Con Edison predicted that power will be restored to customers by late afternoon, according to its website.