Heavy downpours and lightning and thunderstorms wreaked havoc on most of Long Island July 18, with Garden City possibly the hardest hit with an estimated 5+ inches of rain. Flooded roadways, stranded motorists and out-of-service traffic lights didn't help the morning commute.

As of 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) restored power to approximately 55,410 customers of the 62,960 customers out islandwide due to the severe weather system.

Garden City trustees and residents praised the hard work of the village's police and fire personnel and all those employees who battled the unfavorable weather conditions to keep Garden City functioning. "Everybody worked as a wonderful team," Village Administrator Robert Schoelle said. Trustee Donald Brudie, who described the storm as a "weather Holocaust" and suggested the board think about earmarking money in next year's budget to build an ark, echoed those remarks, adding, "All involved should be commended."

LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel said that approximately 560 LIPA and KeySpan personnel, as well as Asplundi contractors, provided by Con Ed, worked until midnight and approximately 110 personnel worked overnight to restore power to the remaining electric customers.

"We all owe a thank-you to the men and women of our restoration crews and our call center operators, who work so hard in very difficult and often dangerous conditions to keep the Island's lights on ... restoration crews did a remarkable job in a very short time," Kessel said in a press release.