Home News Local News North Fork hunkers down as blizzard blasts area with snow, high winds

North Fork hunkers down as blizzard blasts area with snow, high winds

As the Blizzard of 2015 blasts the North Fork and Mother Nature unleashes her fury, elected officials have issued travel bans and states of emergency to keep the public safe and off the roads.

A complete travel ban on state and county roads goes into effect at 11 p.m.;Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency earlier in the day.

As snowfall intensifies, the Southold highway department is gearing up for a very long shift— and it’s all hands on deck as crews head out to battle the 20 to 30 inches of snow that’s expected to blanket the area before Juno heads out of town.

A blizzard warning remains in effect until midnight on Tuesday. As snow starts to pummel the North  Fork, John Murray, meteorologist with the National Weather  Service office in Upton said locally, even higher amounts of snow could be recorded.

During the heaviest periods of snowfall, two to four inches are expected to fall per hour, with temperatures hovering in the 20s, Murray said. Wind gusts on the East End could  reach up to 70 miles per hour, he said. In addition, a coastal flood warning is in effect for the East End, with four foot surges forecast over long durations at Gardiner’s and Peconic Bay, and beach erosion expected.

“Some waterfront structures may be damaged,” he said.

Power outages are a real possibility, Murray said; PSE&G is at the ready but so far, no widespread outages have been reported.

“Downed power limbs and power lines could lead to life-threatening conditions and extremely dangerous travel,” Murray said.

Southold Town Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando said crews sanded and salted the entire town this afternoon, using over 1000 cubic yards of sand/salt, and finishing up around 5:30 p.m.

All 42 highway crew members will head out at 9 p.m. “And then we’ll drop plows and plow until Wednesday,” Orlando said. “We’re not going to stop. The key to a storm like this is, if you let it get ahead of you, you can’t catch up. You have to keep pushing it all to the sides.”

To residents, Orlando said, “Please, if you don’t have to venture out, stay home and let the highway department do its work. Put on the TV and enjoy a movie.”

The village of Greenport declared a state of emergency; any cars left on the road can be towed.

In Riverhead, a state of emergency will also be declared.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, however, said no decision has been made to declare a state of emergency. “We are still in a wait and see mode.”

Russell, however, warned residents to beware of downed tree limbs and wires. While flooding is a concern, so far, no areas have been evacuated.

Eastern Long Island Hospital put its emergency management preparedness plan into place at 1 p.m., in response to the latest forecast. The incident command team has made provisions for additional supplies and manpower in order to maintain operations throughout the storm, and is at the ready in case of coastal flooding and/or loss of power with a generator and pump system. Everyone is encouraged to heed weather warnings and stay safely inside, if at all possible. Round-the-clock staffing assignments are in place, including nurses, physicians, engineering and environmental services staff, to ensure optimal levels of safety and care for all patients. ELIH contracts with a snow plowing contractor to ensure access to the hospital during the storm.

During the severe weather event, the area’s most vulnerable, the East End’s homeless population, will be protected, as Maureen’s Haven volunteers put plans in place to shelter them overnight and into Tuesday at local churches.

All schools on the North Fork and Riverhead closed early today and will remain closed tomorrow.

Due to the expected severity of the today’s weather conditions, all Southold Town Offices closed at 2:45 today and will be closed tomorrow. All Southold Town-related meetings and activities are also canceled.

Russell asked that residents keep emergency numbers close at hand:

Southold Town Emergency number: 911,

Southold Town Emergency Operations Center: 631-765-2784,

Southold Town Non-Emergency: 631-765-2600

Southold Town Highway Department: 631-765-3140

Southold Human Resource Center : 631-298-4460

PSE&G: 800-490-0075

National Grid: 800-490-0045

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