NYC Hurricane: Flooding in Lower Manhattan Less Than Expected, Con-Ed Says

A boat travels up the Hudson River prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irene In Lower Manhattan. New Yorkers, like much of the east coast, prepared Saturday to cope with the region's most serious hurricane since Hurricane Gloria in September 1985. The Statue of Liberty is in the background. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

A final decision on whether to cut power to Lower Manhattan due to storm surges has not been reached, said New York power utility Consolidated Edison, or Con-Ed, said Sunday, but flooding in the area appeared to be less severe than expected.

Any decision to cut power pre-emptively to Lower Manhattan could still be made in he coming hours, but flooding there is not looking as bad as some expected, said spokesman Chris Olert.

Con-Ed, which supplies power to more than 3 million homes and business in New York City, and more than 8 million residents, said 95,000 customers has experiences power cuts so far in the city and nearby Westchester County, Reuters reported. So far, only one customer in Manhattan was affected.

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