ST. JAMES — While Hurricane Sandy has left hundreds of thousands on Long Island powerless, the need for electricity has become acute in some homes. Two of local resident Lauri Burke’s children; Mary-Ellen and Kevin, both need ventilators to survive due to an extremely rare genetic disease. Burke has been powering their home with a propane-powered generator to keep the life support systems running, despite a mall two blocks away having power. FiOS1’s Kevin Vesey reports.

Soon after this report was filed, LIPA restored power to Burke’s home.