A massive blackout hit the northeast on Thursday, August 14 at 4:14 p.m., affecting the Long Island Power Authority's 1.1 million electric customers as 50 million people lost electric service in the Northeast, portions of Canada and the mid-west.

The communities of Elmont, Franklin Square and West Hempstead had to deal without power for Thursday night into Friday morning and in some cases into Friday evening.

Elmont got its power back at 7 a.m. on Friday morning while Franklin Square and West Hempstead came back sporadically. Some residents of Franklin Square got power back completely by noon on Friday while West Hempstead got all its power back by 5 p.m. on Friday.

Customers of the Long Island Water Corp who are primarily residents of Lakeview, the southern sections of West Hempstead and Malverne, experienced a "Boiled Water" alert. Residents were urged to boil water before use for drinking and/or cooking.

Customers of the West Hempstead Water District, however, continued to receive full water service during the power outage. The district has a generator in place for emergency purposes and all treatment and testing continued throughout the emergency.

The day after the power outage, Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray announced that fees were waived at town beaches while power outages continued to affect area residents. Additionally, town pools were temporarily closed due to a lack of power needed to operate pool filtration systems. Some town pools remained open and those residents who are members of pools that were temporarily closed were invited to swim in alternate town facilities that were operational. Hours at these pools were extended.

While community members had to deal without power, they made the best of it by helping those in need. Fire districts were opened to accommodate people who had medical needs.

In West Hempstead, residents lucky enough to have an in-ground pool opened their doors to their home for all around to come and cool off in the pool, offering what cool drinks they had left, wrote West Hempstead Civic Association President Bob Rabey in an email.

"There was a real spirit of generosity that people showed that day. It makes you feel good about the community itself," said Scott Cushing, a spokesman for Assemblyman Tom Alfano.

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Chairman Richard Kessel has announced that LIPA's transmission and distribution system (T&D) is now operating normally and that LIPA will have a sufficient supply of electricity to meet Long Island's requirements for the work week. However, LIPA's residential and commercial customers are urged to follow Governor George Pataki's appeal to do everything possible to conserve energy throughout the week.

"For Long Island, the immediate crisis of the Blackout of 2003 is over, but Long Islanders must continue to use electricity prudently and conservatively," said Kessel on Monday, Aug. 18. "Long Island must start the work week focused on the need to eliminate non-essential electric consumption and avoid the use of all unnecessary electrical equipment and appliances."

Long Island's business community can play a major role in this effort by:

* shutting down underutilized copiers, computers and other office machines;

* raising thermostats to 78 degrees;

* turning off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas; and

* closing the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air.

Energy efficient residential air-conditioning can save electricity, and help LIPA meet Long Island's energy needs. To get the most from your air-conditioning unit LIPA suggests the following:

* set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher for the most energy efficient operation,

* use fans to move the air inside your home. This gives the sensation that it is five degrees cooler than the actual temperature. Shade windows on the sunny side of your home. Keep drapes closed or add room-darkening shades to block out the heat from the sun,

* use a programmable thermostat to routinely raise the inside temperature while you are at work or routinely away from home for four hours or longer. Pre-set the thermostat to adjust back to your normal comfort range 1/2 hour before getting home. This automatic adjustment reduces the cumulative operation of the air conditioner while you are away, and eliminates any discomfort when you arrive home. You can contact LIPA to enroll in the LIPA Edge Program, a first-in-the-nation Internet-based air conditioner control program,

* do not set the thermostat at a colder setting than normal when turning on the air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, wasted electricity and unnecessary expense.

LIPA has a wide range of energy conservation and efficiency programs and helpful tips that can help consumers reduce electric use and lower monthly bills. To find out more about these programs, customers can log on to www.lipower.org, or they can call LIPA's Energy Wise Infoline, at 1-800-692-2626.

The Long Island Power Authority owns the electric retail business on Long Island. LIPA provides electric service to nearly 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.

Red Cross Offers Tips

The American Red Cross offered the following tips in case a blackout should happen again.

* Assemble essential supplies, including:

* Flashlight

* Batteries

* Portable radio

* At least one gallon of water

* A small supply of food.

* Due to the extreme risk of fire, do not use candles during a power outage.

Top Safety Tips for a Blackout

* Only use a flashlight for emergency lighting. Never use candles!

* Turn off electrical equipment you were using when the power went out.

* Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer.

* Do not run a generator inside a home or garage.

* If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not connect a generator to a home's electrical system.

* Listen to local radio and television for updated information.