As Midnight Nears, Con Ed Crews Still Working To Restore Power In Corner of Crown Heights

by CrownHeights.info

The string of manhole explosions that shook Crown Heights Sunday morning still have Con Ed crews hard at work as they attempt to restore power to two homes, a Shul, and a line of shops.

The explosions ripped manhole covers apart along Empire Blvd from the corner of Brooklyn Ave towards New York Ave, including one that had a car parked on top of it. The explosions did extensive damage, not the least being the high levels of Carbon Monoxide that forced the evacuation of buildings and homes along Empire Blvd and Montgomery Street.

A couple hours after the explosions, the Con Ed Emergency crews arrived, and they have there ever since.

Through hard work, the crews were able to restore power to most of the buildings and homes, when they came across their biggest issue, the sheer amount of Carbon Monoxide that needed to be vented from the underground tunnels.

Filled with water from the heavy rains, the crews drilled new holes and put in vent lines in an attempt to make the air in the tunnels safe enough to work in. It is still a work in progress.

As of 11:30pm, the two homes that sit next to Empire Shtibel, Empire Stibel itself, and the string of shops to the corner of Brooklyn, all remain without power as the crews intent to continue working into the night.