I just passed the 48 hour mark of no power. I'm not expecting it back for at least three more days. (There are still 830,000 LIPA customers in the dark.) The traffic signals are still awful, and it seems a substantial minority of drivers does not know how to approach a unpowered light (it becomes an all-way stop). Cellular reception went down at my house as well, leaving me with little way to contact the outside world. To get connected, I have to come down to Northport Village Park. Most of the Main Street business district has underground distribution, to the Optimum hotspot in the park is still functional, as I discovered yesterday. And today, I discovered that the eight outlets built into the bandstand are operational - hence here I sit in the bandstand, typing away. Halloween celebrations have been proceeding apace - in fact, since the schools are closed (as they'll be for the rest of the week), there's the opportunity for additional trick or treating.
With the subsiding of the winds today, I was able to resume walking. I've got a crank-powered radio, so I have at least been able to listen to updates on the news stations. And I've been able to get some reading done - presently, it's Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate. Most importantly, everybody I know is safe. All the rest, even major damage (which I was thankfully spared), is just inconvenience in the big picture.