Phone companies start checking storm damage

By Peter Svensson

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, Oct. 30 2012 9:49 a.m. MDT

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Green Mountain Power dispatcher Jeff Brosseau checks the status board in preparation for Hurricane Sandy on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 in Colchester, Vt. Vermont emergency management officials are expecting most of the damage from Hurricane Sandy to be caused by winds that could reach 60 to 80 mph from the southern part of the state to the Canadian border. Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn says many Vermonters remain anxious about the storm in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. He said the best way to deal with the anxiety is to be prepared for power outages and possible flooding.

Toby Talbot, Associated Press

Summary

Phone and cable companies are still assessing the damage in the storm-hit areas of the East Coast amid widespread reports of phone outages in flooded areas.

NEW YORK — Phone and cable companies are still assessing the damage in the storm-hit areas of the East Coast amid widespread reports of phone outages in flooded areas.

Cablevision, which serves parts of Long Island, New York City and New Jersey, says it's experiencing widespread outages due to the loss of power. Verizon Communications, the biggest phone company in the region, says some facilities in downtown Manhattan are flooded, shutting down phone and Internet service. The company doesn't yet know the extent of outages in New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the storm.

AT&T says there are "issues" in hard-hit areas, and it's in the early stages of checking for damage and restoring service.

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