Southampton - The nor'easter that blasted the East End and other areas this past weekend with heavy rains and high winds has left many without electricity and heat. Additionally, those that do have power lost their cable and internet connections for intermittent periods throughout the day.

Large tree limbs littered property in Bridgehampton.

Governor Paterson's office issued the following statement today, "This weekend's storm has taken a toll on New York. More than a quarter of a million New Yorkers were without power this morning - including 250,000 on Long Island. Many State agencies have been working together to get the lights back on, including the Long Island Power Authority, which has restored power to 70 percent of their customers already. But there is still much work to be done, and many more New Yorkers who are waiting.

"I have directed the State Emergency Management Office to continue to work with affected communities to assess damage and coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to obtain any potential disaster assistance to aid communities in the clean-up and recovery efforts. In the meantime our State, county and local highway crews and first responders are working tirelessly to open roads and clear the way for utility crews to restore power. Scores of roads are closed or are blocked by downed tree limbs, trees and wires. Our first concern is for the safety of our citizens. If you see a downed wire, do not touch it. Consider the wire to be live and report the location to your utility. People should exercise caution while driving and pay attention to local emergency officials' orders."

Customers may call the following number to report electrical outages:

 • LIPA/National Grid - 1-800-490-0075

Many homeowners suffered property damage with fallen trees from the weekend storm.

New York State Insurance Department has also offered some helpful information to residents, including activation of the Disaster Hotline to assist consumers with insurance questions following the storm that has caused extensive property damage to many.

The Disaster Hotline, 1-800-339-1759, will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The NYS Insurance Department advises "Your insurance agent, broker or company should always be the first point of contact for a consumer. However, consumers should always feel free to contact the Insurance Department if they need help or are unable to resolve a dispute with their insurer," Insurance Superintendent James Wrynn said.

Consumers may also wish to consult the Insurance Department's website, www.ins.state.ny.us to obtain information on property and automobile insurance. Consumers may use the website to file complaints in the event they have disputes with insurance companies.

Wrynn also offered this general guidance for consumers who experienced property damage and may need to file insurance claims.

 • Damage caused to homes, garages or fences caused by trees toppled by wind should be covered under homeowners' policies. However, there is no coverage for tree removal if the fallen tree caused no property damage. If a healthy tree on your property damages someone else's property, the other person's insurance should cover damages, provided there is no negligence on your part.

Homeowners are urged to contact authorities if they notice downed power lines among the debris.

 • Interior water damage is normally covered if the exterior first suffers a covered loss such as wind blowing out a window or damaging the roof. Water leaking through the roof is usually not covered.

 • Insurance normally covers losses from a power outage caused by damage to power lines that are located on your own property.

When filing claims, Wrynn suggested that consumers have copies of all their insurance policies readily available, including homeowners, renters, flood, automobile and business insurance. He also offered these pointers:

 • Keep a list of the names of the insurance company personnel you talk with when filing a claim and keep a detailed record of what they told you and when.

 • Take video or still photos of damaged property to document the extent of damage.

 • Make property repairs to prevent damage from worsening, but don't make permanent repairs until after your property is inspected by your insurer because permanent repairs could affect the amount of your claim.

A boat in Sag Harbor toppled to its side as a result of the high winds.

The Insurance Department's online "Homeowners Resource Center" offers detailed information and a number of useful tools consumers may find helpful. The "Homeowners Resource Center" can be found on the Insurance Department's website.

Additionally, Paterson offered the following statement regarding the storm:

"While flood waters are receding and electric power is slowly being restored, there is still much work to be done in order to recover from this weekend's nor'easter, which struck a crippling blow to the greater New York metropolitan area."

"Today, New York State Department of Transportation crews, and county, city and local agencies continued to work side by side to clear debris and open roads as they have all weekend to allow power crews to do their job."

"At my direction, the State Emergency Management Office this morning asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide technical assistance, namely personnel to begin conducting joint preliminary damage assessments in the affected areas later this week. Costs associated with the response to this storm are significant enough that I will be requesting a major federal disaster declaration. However, the preliminary assessment must first be completed."

"Finally, we have learned that there were several fatalities associated with this powerful storm. I ask that all New Yorkers keep victims of this storm and their families in their thoughts and prayers. New Yorkers are a resilient people, and working together, we will recover from the damage caused by this powerful storm."