Storms tend to bring out the best in utility people. Of course, when storms hit hard, we are most needed and, hopefully, most appreciated. Some of our most vivid and memorable moments are storm related. Ask any lineman the highlight of his career and you'll invariably hear a storm story.

In the early years, storm planning was minimal. Sure, you'd stock extra supplies, poles, insulators and transformers, but much of what went on was decided on the fly. Materials and people were thrown at a storm, and utilities would settle up after the carnage was over. That's no longer the case.

Today, most utilities have sophisticated storm centers, media rooms and staging areas. They have mutual assistance agreements with vendors, contractors and nearby utilities. Frequently, the “storm coordinator” position is a full-time job. In addition, most people who work for a utility now wear two hats. They have their day job, but they also have their storm assignments. Still, most of us are never quite ready until the day the weather turns brutal and that call comes in, telling us to report.

Nowhere in North America is a utility more focused on storm response than on Long Island, New York, and with valid reason. With 2.8 million people, it's not feasible to evacuate this island. You might remember Shoreham Nuclear Plant was a casualty of this inability to evacuate. Local cities and counties have accepted this fact and have shelters set up on the leeward side of the island.

Preparing Long Island for a major storm is no easy task. This island, 118 miles (190 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide, is situated so that hurricanes, coming up the eastern seaboard, will hit broadside, making storm preparation that much more critical. To make matters worse, Long Island is also subject to severe winter storms.

Electric power is provided by state-owned utility Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), which contracts with Keyspan Energy, an investor-owned utility, to maintain the power system.

Last year, at the invitation of Mike Hervey, LIPA's executive director of T&D, I attended an emergency drill on the island and realized that LIPA and Keyspan have taken storm preparedness to the next level. This drill simulates the environment where major actions are to be taken if a severe hurricane progresses up the East Coast. I found it intriguing that LIPA had invited police, fire, federal, state and local agencies to participate. This was no low-level event. Both Richard Kessel, the chairman of LIPA and Bob Catell, CEO of KeySpan, actively participated, performing the same duties they would assume in an actual emergency.

The Drill Commences

Twenty or so spectators were invited into the “war room.” Ed Youngling, KeySpan's vice president of T&D, set the tone, stating, “We'd like nothing better than to be all dressed up with nowhere to go.”

Don Wilkes, head of Electric System Operations, kicked off the drill, providing this scenario: “It's Monday, July 28 at 0700. I have the latest National Weather Station update. We have a category three hurricane with sustained 125-mph winds off the Atlantic Coast, and it's moving our way. Computer models predict the hurricane will track along the coast, then head north/northeast. We expect an increase in forward speed with storm surges of 5 ft (1.5 m) and rain squalls bringing 7 to 10 inches (19 to 25 cm) of rain. There is a 17% chance the storm will hit Long Island and a 25% chance the storm will hit New York City. Tonight, we will begin to feel the influence of the hurricane. We might want to open the breaker to Fire Island to limit the damage there.”

Tom Spatz, KeySpan's director of Electric Service, gives an update on the staffing situation: “Ninety percent of our workforce is currently available. If we call in employees before their normal shifts, we can get 95% availability. We expect to see storm winds start to hit at midnight. We plan to significantly increase the number of servicemen (emergency responders) on the “A shift” (12 a.m. to 8 a.m.) by holding additional servicemen over from our “C shift” (4 p.m. to 12 a.m.). This will approximately triple the number of personnel available to respond to outages and other emergency calls. All other personnel will be told to report on their normal shift tomorrow unless called in tonight. By tomorrow morning, we will have 349 high-voltage linemen and 239 low-voltage workers available to repair any storm damage. We have completed all storm readiness activities and are now focusing on flood protection. We are also securing facilities where we anticipate problems with high wind. We are checking roof drains and testing our dewatering pumps. Our crews are fueling their vehicles and locating equipment needed to bring back service.”

Tom Beisner, KeySpan's director of Electric Design & Construction, is asked about bringing in reinforcements. “We are reaching out to contractors to determine how many can help. We realize other areas in the region might also be affected by the hurricane and anticipate they will be making similar calls. We have grid maps, money, directions and work rules ready for the contract crews.”

LIPA's Kessel asks for an update, “So, how much time do we have until the brunt of the storm actually hits? And when will we know it is really coming this way?” The discussion on the magnitude of the storm continues with discussions that focus on the tree-trimming difficulties crews might face in getting to the job site.

Keyspan's Catell asks, “And what about Verizon? Are they ready?” The response, “We have called Verizon and asked them to work on all leased lines that might have been out of service.” A discussion ensues on which substations are critical to be manned. The grilling goes on for another half hour with mystery events thrown in to challenge the procedures and to allow participants to think on their feet.

After the drill, I had a chance to chat with a fellow attendee Edward Jacoby Jr., director of the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO). He was ecstatic with what he saw, going so far as to state, “The program could serve as a model for the state and, indeed, the country.”

Next, I checked out the media center in the same complex. Being a state agency, the last thing LIPA wants to do is fall short in the communications arena. LIPA maintains close channels with critical customers as well as city, state and county officials. LIPA also maintains close contact with the Public Service Commission, the Department of Energy, the New York Power Authority, the New York Independent System Operator and independent power producers on the island.

Of course, preparation for major storms is more than any set of drills. The drill I witnessed was the culmination of a major effort to prepare for the hurricane season. Utility personnel had already run trial emergency-response scenarios with field staff positioned in control centers, substations and out in the field. KeySpan also has the processes in place to track the man-hours and resources expended on the job, which makes wrapping up that much easier. After reviewing KeySpan's and LIPA's processes for storm management, I'm convinced that these utilities are prepared for any emergency.

I wish I could say the same for every utility; sadly, it is not the case. Two utilities come to mind that were unable to respond adequately when storms hit. They not only had major fines levied by their public service commissions, but they were left facing irate customers and a hostile press.

How we respond to our customers in times of crisis is crucial. We make lasting impressions during these storms, for good or for bad. Let's invest the time and resources to “do storms right.”

Past Major Storms

Storm	Date	Customers Affected	Total Jobs	Duration (Days)	Crews	Outside Crews
Donna	9/12/1960	354,470	4,845	3.46	N/A	N/A
Belle	8/9/1976	532,998	13,371	4.67	523	367
Ice Storm	1/13/1978	339,785	18,858	5.75	606	408
Gloria	9/27/1985	750,000	18,730	11.63	481	846
Bob	8/19/1991	477,765	12,301	4.67	509	549
100 Year	12/10/1992	455,748	4,160	4.33	393	207
Blizzard	3/13/1993	150,705	2,417	2.75	385	30
Floyd	9/16/1999	148.,41	2.124	2.0	600	100+
Gustav	2/11/2003	95,005	1,379	1.8	460	50