FEMA Chief Fugate: Power Pivots on Whether Shut Off for Protection or Damage

WASHINGTON — The time it takes for power to be restored along the U.S. eastern seaboard will depend on whether specific utility systems were damaged by Hurricane Irene or if the system went offline protectively, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate said Sunday.

"Part of it is going to come back to how much damage did we actually have versus how much was just caused by system trips," Fugate told "Fox News Sunday." "That will really drive how quickly power will come back on."

Fugate said damage assessments were just starting in areas where the storm had passed over and power could be out for days in some areas.

Irene knocked out power to 4 million homes and businesses along the East Coast and forced two nuclear plants to shut.