Long Island cleans up after powerful storms

COMMACK, N.Y. (FOX 5 NY) - Pat Provenzano of Commack said she saw incoming clouds and went outside to move her car into the garage on Sunday. Within minutes, a tree came crashing down on her front lawn, sparing her house and possibly her life, too.

"It was unbelievable," she said. "Wind was blowing in every direction and leaves were flying all over the place."

Powerful storms caused widespread damage across Suffolk County and left many neighborhoods looking like complete war zones. Torrential rain and gusty winds caught homeowners and county officials completely off guard.

"The results of that were a number of downed trees, downed limbs that blocked roadways," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. "And obviously had a huge impact on power on Long Island."

The storms knocked out power for about 80,000 PSEG Long Island customers. Over about 75% of that power was restored on Monday.

PSEG Long Island officials are working around the clock to restore power to neighborhoods that remain in the dark but those who were hit the hardest might not see it back up and running again until Tuesday. PSEG mobilized hundreds of extra crews to assess the damage.

PSEG Long Island opened temporary outreach centers in Brentwood, Greenlawn, and Commack, where customers can get information, pick up bottled water, ice, and snacks.