Sandy’s Blackouts Leave 3.5 Million Customers Lacking Power | Mark Chediak, Benjamin Haas and Jim Polson

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A fourth day of blackouts for about 3.5 million homes and businesses in the U.S. Northeast taxed the patience of city and state officials concerned that utilities are moving too slowly to repair the ravages of Hurricane Sandy. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

Nov. 3, 2012 (Bloomberg) -- A fourth day of blackouts for about 3.5 million homes and businesses in the U.S. Northeast taxed the patience of city and state officials concerned that utilities are moving too slowly to repair the ravages of Hurricane Sandy.

The pace of recovery from Sandy’s power losses trailed that of last year’s Hurricane Irene for a second day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Frustration grew among consumers, many also without water, heat or phone service, as power companies advised that some areas may not get power back for another two weeks. A cold front is forecast to bring rain and possibly snow to the Northeast next week.

“We knew this storm was coming, we went through this with Irene,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said at a press conference yesterday. “There was no great shock.”

Cuomo wrote a letter to the state’s seven utilities this week warning he’d revoke their operating certificates if their restoration efforts fall short. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, pledged to hold utilities to the timelines they’ve given on getting power back, and “if they don’t meet these deadlines, they’re going to have problems with me,” he said at a press conference.

“I know people want power and heat as quickly as possible. We’re attempting to do that, and no one knows how to pressure people as well as I do,” Christie said.