Plowing, LIRR and LIPA Blizzard Updates for Farmingdale

Farmingdale received 14 inches of snow since yesterday, according to the National Weather Service.

"The village is doing great, our team did an outstanding job," said  Mayor George Starkie. "The crews started yesterday at 2 p.m. and have been plowing for a full 24 years straight. Everywhere in the village has been plowed at least a half dozen times and there is sand and salt down."

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto mirrored Starkie's statements.

"We're starting to exhale," said Venditto, who said he expects most town functions to resume on Tuesday.

The Supervisor and the mayor both said that there were no major storm related problems in Farmingdale or elsewhere in the town. 

"Very few people ventured out the morning, and those that did got in trouble. Mostly cars into snowbanks, things like that," Venditto said.

The largest snow amount measured on the Island was in North Babylon, which recorded 18.5 inches. There were also major windgusts topped by a 68 mph gust in Bayville. Winds blew as high as 59 mph in Seaford and 51 mph in Farmingdale.

As of 12 a.m. there were 12 power outages reported in Farmingdale, just south of Fulton Street, according to LIPA.

While roads in Farmingdale seemed under control, Nassau County police issued an advisory, asking people to stay off the roads and let essential personnel do their jobs. Police also advised that pedestrians will have obstructed views of traffic and may be walking in the streets.

The call for caution was echoed by Venditto.

"Even at this late hour, we urge people not to venture out unless you have to," he said.  Venditto said the roads "are passable not perfect," and urged people "to take it very slow out there."

One area of  trouble was the Long Island Rail Road which suspended service late Sunday night due to switching problems and snow removal, and hadn't restored it as of 12:30 p.m. Monday.

Venditto said Sanitation and recycling pickup would return on Tuesday, although those who had been scheduled for pickups on Monday will have to wait for their next scheduled pickup day.

Starkie said that the plow trucks were refueling and that later on in the week the village and the town would begin a coordinated effort to cart the snow off of Main Street if it doesn't melt, since the road is so narrow.

Venditto credited the town's swift emergency notification service for making the process go easier.

Town residents received "robocalls"  asking them to clear vehicles and basketball hoops off the streets and to shovel snow towards their property. 

"Over the last three years or so, we've really noticed a difference in the number of vehicles in the street and things have gone faster," Venditto said.

"I want to commend my workers, they've been ahead of the storm from the outset and I'd also like to commend the people of the town, for staying inside and keeping vehicles off the streets," he said.