A Progress Report on Hurricane Sandy Recovery From East Lyme First Selectman

East Lyme First Selectman Paul Formica has found a novel way to communicate news about Hurricane Sandy. He's delivering daily messages to the masses using YouTube video uploaded onto the town of East Lyme's Emergency Operations Center's Facebook page. 

The first video was uploaded on Sunday as the massive storm was headed our way and he's been doing two a day ever since. The latest one, recorded yesterday after the 4 p.m. briefing with the state, is an update on the recovery efforts. It's a little on the long side, so here are a few of the highlights:

• Town officials spent yesterday assessing the damage and it is, in Formica's words, "pretty catastrophic in a lot of areas." Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman toured some of the hardest hit areas of the town yesterday and Formica is hoping she'll be able to help expedite some of the massive amounts of paperwork required by the state.
• Aside from the power outages, (as of this morning CL&P was reporting that only one percent of East Lyme had power, and that one percent is over by Flanders Four Corners), the major damage done by the storm was to infrastructure. The beach areas were particularly hard hit. Hurricane Sandy really chewed up Atlantic Street down by Crescent Beach in Niantic, making it impassable for the foreseeable future. 
• Schools are closed again today and the East Lyme Middle School continues to serve as an emergency shelter for the surrounding towns, although the number of people using it now has dropped considerably. 
• Connecticut Light and Power is working hard to restore power but downed wires remain a problem. Never assume that a downed power line is dead. It can be reenergized by a generator. 
• Halloween is officially cancelled. With no power, downed wires, dark streets, and debris, Formica is asking parents to please keep their kids at home tonight and the town will set a date for trick or treating when the situation is safer. 

You can watch the entire update on the video.