East Rockaway and Lynbrook: The aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene

A tree was braced in Lynbrook.

Susan Grieco/Herald

Village officials in East Rockaway and Lynbrook said that the cleanup after Tropical Storm Irene is near completion. Most residents now have power, and downed trees and power lines have been cleared. Story, more photos, page 3.

Susan Grieco/Herald

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In the aftermath of the Aug. 27-28 assault from Tropical Storm Irene, Lynbrook residents and officials were still recuperating last and this week.

On Aug. 30, the village’s Department of Public Works were busy with post-storm clean-up. “We were working to restore some normalcy,” said DPW Superintendent Phil Healey. Village crews were opening up numerous roads blocked by toppled trees and down power lines, and moving the storm-ravished debris out of the way of residents. The village fared better than expected, Healey said, but there were still unmistakable signs of Irene’s wrath.

The coming days after Irene also included DPW workers assessing and inspecting damages to village facilities and infrastructures, which several including Village Hall were left untouched. And no injuries were reported, Healey said.

The rampant power outages across the village were still a major concern. As of Aug. 31, 575 residents were still without electricity — that was reduced to 536 residents by the next day, according to the Long Island Power Authority website. By last Friday, 461 customers were without power, and a total of 2,006 residents had their power restored by LIPA since the storm. LIPA reported that a little more than a dozen Lynbrook residents were still without power on Tuesday, as the Herald went to press. Officials estimated the power would be restored by Tuesday afternoon. The damage from Irene was the worst in a quarter of a century, LIPA representatives said. Approximately 3,000 line crews and tree trimmers worked through Sunday on extended shifts for one of the largest contingencies of restoration crews in Long Island’s history, according to LIPA representatives. Their crews could be seen repairing power lines all over Lynbrook last week.

“Our restoration teams continue to make significant progress restoring power, however the amount of destruction that Irene has had on the electric system is extreme,” said Michael Hervey, LIPA’s chief operating officer, “and crews will continue to work around the clock until service is restored to all of our customers.”