300 'Minor' Crashes Reported Statewide In Storm: Hochul

LONG ISLAND, NY — The day after a major storm pummeled Long Island, Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York state crews were on Long Island to help hard-hit smaller towns with cleanup.

Speaking with Cindy Hsu of WCBS-TV, Hochul said the high winds have caused blowing drifts, which get dangerous due to "blinding conditions for motorists."

"The plows are out there on all the state roads. They kept them all clear and open throughout the entire duration of the storm. But now we're actually helping some of the hard hit smaller towns, particularly on eastern Long Island where we've taken over plowing some of their roads to help them," Hochul said.

Statewide, Hochul said, there were about 300 "minor accidents" during the storm, which could have been much worse, she said. She thanked New Yorkers for listening to officials and staying off the roads when crews needed to salt roads and remove snow.

On Long Island, Islip Town needed state assistance with plowing about 60 to 90 of their lane miles. "They were the hardest hit," she said. We're going to give them the 'golden snowball' award for this week, this storm. They were at 24.7 inches, which is a significant amount for an area."

Hochul said she was in contact with county executives Saturday asking how the state could help, providing a supplemental role if a county needed assistance.

Long Island Rail Road service resumed at 5 a.m. Sunday, Hochul added, with just a "slight disruption" at the far eastern end of Long Island, where some need to take a bus to get to the next station.

"But, given that this entire system could have been paralyzed and it was not, the people who worked clearing the tracks and working tirelessly through the days and nights deserve a tremendous amount of credit for keeping that critical lifeline open," Hochul said.