The New York State legislature will hold a virtual hearing on the impact of Tropical Storm Isaias on New York State on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. On Aug. 4, the storm hit New York with heavy rain, tornadoes and winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour.

Isaias left hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers without power across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, the Hudson Valley and other areas of the state within the service territories of PSEG-Long Island, Con Edison, Orange and Rockland, National Grid, Central Hudson, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and other utility providers.

The storm also disrupted the regions’ telephone, cable and internet services, services that have been particularly essential for New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outages and service disruptions lasted for multiple days, and in some areas of the state, many homes and businesses are still waiting to be reconnected.

With the increased frequency of extreme weather, it is important for utility and telecommunications providers to more readily and effectively respond to these emergencies.

The hearing will gather information on:

• Utility and telecommunication provider storm preparedness;
• The pre-storm steps taken to protect the electric distribution grid and critical telecommunications infrastructure;
• The causes of the outages and service disruptions;
• The reasons for the lengthy post-storm repair, restoration of service and reconnection of customers;
• The extent of coordination between utility and telecommunication providers and municipalities in restoring service; and
• The reasons for the loss of customer service communication during and after the storm.

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