A Salt-y Situation: Brooklyn Residents Left Without Power Amid Ongoing Outages
Con Edison's latest complaint is not just about blaming the salt – it's about the crumbling infrastructure and slow response times. Thousands of Brooklynites are still in the dark, and the utility company is pointing fingers at the 116 million pounds of salt dumped on city streets to combat last week's snowstorm.
The problem lies beneath the surface – literally. The salt mixed with water seeps underground, causing localized service interruptions as Con Edison's complex network of cables deteriorates faster than expected. And when the lines are iced over, making it harder for crews to access them, the situation becomes even more dire.
"It's a perfect storm," said Jamie McShane, Con Edison spokesperson. "These conditions are why portions of certain neighborhoods are experiencing outages, and why restorations have taken longer than anticipated."
But what exactly is causing these service interruptions? The answer lies in the corrosive effects of salt water on metal and insulation. Sodium chloride rapidly damages equipment, leading to rust, electrical shorts, and even equipment failure.
As the snow piles up, streets and sidewalks remain treacherous, trapping cars and preventing access to manholes. In some areas, vehicles are buried under dense layers of snow and ice, making it impossible for crews to reach damaged cables.
"This is why we must dig out dense, frozen layers of snow and ice just to access the system," McShane said.
While Con Edison has been working with the NYC Emergency Management department to clear locations, local businesses were unable to operate over the weekend due to outages. And it's not just residents who are affected – elderly neighbors require special attention, which can be a challenge in areas where power remains off for extended periods.
The City Council is calling on Con Edison to automatically suspend billing and issue full credits for the outage, citing the already-strained finances of many Brooklyn residents. "Constituents are being asked to pay more while experiencing extended service failures, an untenable situation that demands immediate corrective action," said Shahana Hanif in a letter to Con Edison.
As the city struggles to recover from the storm, one thing is clear: it's time for Con Edison to take responsibility for its infrastructure and respond faster to the needs of its customers.
Con Edison's latest complaint is not just about blaming the salt – it's about the crumbling infrastructure and slow response times. Thousands of Brooklynites are still in the dark, and the utility company is pointing fingers at the 116 million pounds of salt dumped on city streets to combat last week's snowstorm.
The problem lies beneath the surface – literally. The salt mixed with water seeps underground, causing localized service interruptions as Con Edison's complex network of cables deteriorates faster than expected. And when the lines are iced over, making it harder for crews to access them, the situation becomes even more dire.
"It's a perfect storm," said Jamie McShane, Con Edison spokesperson. "These conditions are why portions of certain neighborhoods are experiencing outages, and why restorations have taken longer than anticipated."
But what exactly is causing these service interruptions? The answer lies in the corrosive effects of salt water on metal and insulation. Sodium chloride rapidly damages equipment, leading to rust, electrical shorts, and even equipment failure.
As the snow piles up, streets and sidewalks remain treacherous, trapping cars and preventing access to manholes. In some areas, vehicles are buried under dense layers of snow and ice, making it impossible for crews to reach damaged cables.
"This is why we must dig out dense, frozen layers of snow and ice just to access the system," McShane said.
While Con Edison has been working with the NYC Emergency Management department to clear locations, local businesses were unable to operate over the weekend due to outages. And it's not just residents who are affected – elderly neighbors require special attention, which can be a challenge in areas where power remains off for extended periods.
The City Council is calling on Con Edison to automatically suspend billing and issue full credits for the outage, citing the already-strained finances of many Brooklyn residents. "Constituents are being asked to pay more while experiencing extended service failures, an untenable situation that demands immediate corrective action," said Shahana Hanif in a letter to Con Edison.
As the city struggles to recover from the storm, one thing is clear: it's time for Con Edison to take responsibility for its infrastructure and respond faster to the needs of its customers.
... like, I get it, we need salt to keep our roads safe, but it's not fair that thousands of people are still without power. I mean, think about it - when you put salt on the road, it's supposed to help, right? But what it really does is damage the underground cables and stuff, so now everyone's losing electricity 
.
And what about those elderly neighbors who are struggling to cope with no power for ages? It's just not right.
. I don't want to pay more while they're still messing up... it's just not fair 
I'm literally fuming over this, people are being left without power for DAYS! Like, what kind of company just leaves thousands of residents in the dark? It's not like they didn't see it coming with all that salt getting dumped on the streets... I mean, I get it, infrastructure is a thing, but come on Con Edison!
. Like, they should be working on that before the snow even hits 
. And yeah, elderly neighbors being left in the dark for extended periods is super concerning 
.
what r they even doin w/ all the damage? just saltin' away prob 
. I believe Con Edison needs to take immediate responsibility for its infrastructure and invest in more robust measures to mitigate these issues 
. Like, come on, a little salt won't hurt anyone... except for the equipment, apparently 
. Con Edison's always blaming the snow, but it's time to own up to their crumbling infrastructure and slow response times 
. I mean, who needs automatic credits after an extended outage? Not me, that's for sure 
.
. And what's up with the elderly folks? Can't we prioritize those who really need power to stay safe? 
And what about the elderly and vulnerable folks who are just trying to stay safe and warm? This is a serious situation that needs serious attention 
. It's time for them to own up to this mess and fix it 
.
. Automatic suspensions of billing and full credits aren't too much to ask after an extended outage, if you ask me 
. And can we please just have some reliable infrastructure already? 
like, how can they even live with no electricity? The salt situation just sounds super bad - i mean who thought it was a good idea to use that much salt on the streets?! 
It's not just about the power outages, though - it's about people who are elderly or have disabilities needing help and having to rely on others for things. That's just not cool. 
.