When The Lights Went Out

By 8:30 a.m. Friday, parts of eastern Queens and Long Island City had electricity. Many of the generators that power the city are located in Astoria, Ravenswood and Long Island City, said a Con Edison spokesman. Queens gets power from other sources, including transmission lines on the outskirts of the city.
And Then There Was Light…
Off To The Gas Station!
Most Queens residents breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday morning upon realizing that power was restored. Ditching the votive candles and flashlights, people revved up their car engines. And where did they go first?
To the gas station.
Gas stations across Queens were transformed into parking lots. Many customers had been waiting on line for gas anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour.
"Its unbelievable!" fumed Michael Albanese, from Bayside, who had tried his luck with Exxon on 35th Ave. in Bayside after waiting at another gas station for over an hour. "Its pathetic because today is my 17th birthday. Its the first day I can drive legally and I have to sit on line for three hours!"
A car or two ahead, Maria Perdi remained cool and calm while waiting on line in her Lexus RX 900. "The tank is totally empty and I have no choice but to wait!" said the Bayside resident.
Amanat Masih, who works the Lotto machines inside Exxons food mart, seemed unfazed by the crowds outside. He said cigarettes and iced coffee were selling like crazy.
Power Companies Still Baffled
The power outage is a "massive complicated issue that will take a long long time to figure out," said the spokesman. "Its a very methodical process. Synchronizing the flow of transmission power and energy into the grid, and the reconnection of the power plants to the grid."
Cops Man The Streets As Seniors Beat The Heat
Officer Rob Tansi from the 111th Precinct walked down Bell Boulevard, eventually stationing himself at a corner, in case any of the traffic lights went out. All police officers were on 12-hour shifts, said Anthony Lombardi, also of the 111. "Were still on alert!" he said. Officers from the 101st and 104th Precincts were still recovering from a long, hot night on the watch for looters. A local toy store and jewelry store were almost broken into, said police sources.
For most of Queens senior centers, everything was business as usual. But in areas such as Corona and Jackson Heights, where the power remained out through the afternoon, some seniors were left in the dark. A few senior centers even had to close down.
"Well, what can we do?" agonized Deborah Barnes, director at the Florence E. Smith Corona Senior Center. "We have no power. No lights, no computers, no refrigerators. We just have to wait until the power comes on and then well start all over again."
And The Last… But Not The Least
Corona, Elmhurst, Jamaica, Jackson Heights were a few of the neighborhoods still sweating it out by Friday afternoon. Elmhurst Hospital was running on a back-up generator, and most of the patients coming in complained of heat-related illnesses. "Some surrounding hospitals dont have generator power," said Phillip Cook, associate director for External Affairs. "Luckily for us, weve got it. Were holding on, Were doing okay."
Luckily, by the weekend, all the neighborhoods in Queens could say the same.