HURRICANE ISABEL AFTERMATH in VIRGINIA

Power is still out in many parts of Virginia due to destruction of transmission facilities by the hurricane. Telephone service is sporadic and water systems are contaminated.

The statistics reveal widespread destruction. The repairs or reconstruction jobs confronting Virginia's dominant power provider after the hurricane include: 62 long-haul transmission lines that connect power plants to substations, 1,150 primary distribution lines that lead from substations, 7,363 sections of downed power lines that go to homes and businesses, 2,311 broken utility poles and 3,899 snapped crossarms that hold lines atop the poles.

Because Hampton Roads was hit harder than any other Dominion service territory by the worst storm the utility has faced in 100 years, the repair effort is moving slowly.

Of the 1.8 million Dominion customers who lost power statewide, 48 percent were still without power Sunday night, compared to 61 percent at the end of Saturday. But 59 percent of Dominion's 646,000 customers in Hampton Roads still had no juice Sunday night, compared to 69 percent on Saturday night.

Dominion also said it would take until Thursday to restore 75 percent of Richmond and the Gloucester/Northern Neck areas. The Peninsula, which had 108,000, or 68 percent of its 160,000 customers out Saturday night, had 115,000, or 72 percent out by Sunday night.

A Dominion spokesman said the Peninsula numbers probably increased on Sunday because the region's system is so damaged. Rather than repairing equipment or lines, the company is often rebuilding, which entails turning some lines back off.

Looting under the cover of darkness has been reported throughout the storm damaged areas with some locations being hit hard.

Hampton Police spokesman Jimmie Wideman said convenience stores have been impacted the most, with criminals generally taking items like cigarettes and beer, but not very expensive merchandise.

There were at least 60 such incidents in Hampton in a three-day period that began after the storm knocked out power throughout the city, Wideman said.

"There's no lights. They're able to move around undetected," Wideman said.

Burglaries rose significantly since the storm.

"The numbers were definitely up. People were taking advantage of the situation."

A total of 99 localities have been designated major federal disaster areas. The designation entitles the state and local governments to a variety of emergency assistance and reimbursement for disaster recovery. It also entitles individuals to disaster housing assistance, low interest loans and grants.