Travel Ban Issued In East Hampton As Blizzard Socks Area

EAST HAMPTON, NY — In response to a blizzard that was expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow and wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour across Long Island Sunday, East Hampton Town issued a travel ban.

The ban kicked off at 9 p.m. Sunday, and is in effect through 9 a.m. Monday morning due to anticipated whiteout conditions, town officials said.

The travel ban was implemented to protect public safety and to ensure that emergency services personnel and highway department crews can safely perform snow removal and response operations, town officials said.

The travel ban does not apply to essential workers, including emergency responders, medical personnel, utility workers, and others required to report to work to maintain critical services, town officials said.

In addition, there is no parking permitted on public roadways during the travel ban. Vehicles left on town roads interfere with snow removal operations and emergency response and are subject to towing, town officials said.

Whiteout conditions are expected to significantly reduce visibility and create dangerous driving conditions; timiting traffic during the height of the storm will allow plows to clear roads more efficiently and help prevent accidents that could delay emergency response, officials said.

Residents should continue to monitor the town’s official communication channels for updates as conditions evolve, officials said.