The Long Island Power Authority issued the following statement ahead of the storm: “LIPA is actively monitoring the storm and is working with regional emergency management organizations to prepare. Severe weather, including heavy rain, flooding and damaging sustained winds, is expected to begin Sunday afternoon, with the full brunt of the storm hitting the area on Monday and Tuesday.

“Based on the severity of the storm,” the power authority continued, “we urge customers to prepare and plan for power outages that could last as much as seven to 10 days. While not all customers will see restoration crews working specifically in their neighborhoods following the storm, crews will perform damage surveys as soon as possible during and after the storm and follow established safety guidelines.”

On Wednesday, LIPA crews were working furiously to restore service, but officials said they could not fully restore the broken system for at least a week and a half.