Stephen McDade said he spent 20 years building his Belle Harbor house the way he wanted it before it was destroyed. He said the Long Island Power Authority should pay for it.
His house is one of dozens destroyed in a massive fire during Hurricane Sandy. But he’s not blaming mother nature.
McDade and his Belle Harbor neighbors claim the Long Island Power Authority is at fault for not shutting down the Rockaway power grid during the the storm. Con Edison, which supplies electricity to most of the city, did shut down power to areas at risk from the floodwaters.
“Water and electric don’t mix, so it should have been done,” McDade said.
Fire marshals said the storm damaged utility wires in one of the homes, and the flames quickly spread. Heavy flooding kept firefighters from responding.
Many in the area said the water would have only damaged their property, as it did many others, not destroy them.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
