In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, which made landfall near New York City just after 9 a.m. on Sunday afternoon, many local officials noted that the East End of Long Island dodged a bullet, escaping a direct hit by a storm that ravaged portions of the eastern seaboard, led to 24 deaths and left millions without power.

On Monday morning, as the sound of wood chippers, chainsaws and emergency service vehicles filled the air, the Village of Sag Harbor’s Main Street remained powerless, the Municipal Building running on a generator and Judy Schiavoni passing out spoonfuls of ice cream in front of Schiavoni’s Market – Sag Harbor’s lone grocery store also without power and unwilling to waste its ice cream stores.

Despite that, Sag Harbor Mayor Brian Gilbride said “the village is in relatively good shape,” a fact he attributes not just to the luck the East End experienced as Hurricane Irene weakened into a tropical storm and moved further west before making landfall in New York.

Superintendent of Public Works Dee Yardley has had his crews out since 4 a.m., said Gilbride, clearing roadways from trees and debris, making way for power crews. Gilbride said Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Tom Fabiano was told by representatives from the Long Island Power Authority that they hope to have the village up and running with power by the end of the day.

As of Monday morning, LIPA has restored power to about 25% of the 523,000 customers that were affected by the weekend storm. An estimated 398,000 customers remain without power. As of noon on Monday, 342 residents in Sag Harbor remained without power. In Bridgehampton, 388 remained without power, while other sections of East Hampton and Southampton Towns remained largely without service.

According to LIPA officials, full restoration of power on Long Island and in the Rockaways may take as long as a week.

In Southampton Town, Highway Department announced on Monday it would be doing a special “storm related” curbside pickup, and will pick up brush and larger branches – if they are separated into two different piles – from the streets. Any storm related kitchen waste or food waste will be accepted free of charge until Wednesday, August 31 at the North Sea, Hampton Bays, and Westhampton Transfer Stations.  Any storm-damaged appliances such as refrigerators and/or air conditioning units may be brought to the Hampton Bays and North Sea Transfer Stations, free of charge until Wednesday, August 31. Any storm damaged bulk items may be brought to Hampton Bays and North Sea Transfer Station, free of charge until Wednesday, August 31.  Any storm related brush disposal shall be accepted at North Sea, Hampton Bays and Westhampton Transfer stations free of charge until Sunday, September 4.

In East Hampton, Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson announced that the transfer stations in East Hampton would also accept debris at no charge.

In Southampton Village, on Monday this historical society announced that the C.& E. Bennett Blacksmith Shop was a victim of Tropical Storm Irene.

This is terrible news for volunteers Ed and Carryl Howell who worked so hard on the Shop over many years. The collection of blacksmith tools came from Carryl Bennett Howell’s family who had a blacksmith shop in Water Mill. Ed and Carryl now live in Kentucky.

“The other buildings made it fine through the storm,” said the society in a press release. “One bonus, a dead apple tree - slated for removal at Halsey House – came down.”

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