As Henri Descends, Southold Town Declares State Of Emergency

SOUTHOLD, NY — Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell declared a townwide state of emergency Sunday due to emergency conditions produced by Tropical Storm Henri.

With Henri downgraded to a tropical storm and heading east, expected to make landfall near Connecticut or Rhode Island, Long Island appeared to have dodged a bullet, officials said — with the main concerns centered on upstate New York.

But officials say it's not over yet for Long Island — there could still be significant impacts from flooding and storm surges.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the "good news" was that Henri had shifted about 40 miles east, expected to impact Long Island Sunday a little west of Montauk. The storm was then projected to bend again to the west, bringing Henri closer to the New York State border and impacting the Hudson Valley, Albany, and capital regions, Cuomo said.

On Long Island, Nassau County is expecting about 3 inches of rain, with about 4.5 inches expected in Suffolk County.

"This can cause some flooding but nothing catastrophic — if this track remains," Cuomo said.

Winds on Long Island are expected to be around 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 75 miles per hour, Cuomo said. Still, the governor added, there are serious storm surges to consider, with 3-to-5 feet surges expected in the Long Island Sound and 4-to-5 feet expected in the ocean. "This is nothing to take lightly," Cuomo said.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also spoke Sunday and said it was important to remain vigilant.

Concerns still center on the surge during high tide on the North Shore and East End, with sustained winds on the East End of 30 to 40 miles per hour and gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour, Bellone said. Swift water boats and rescue teams stand ready to be deployed on both the North and South Forks if necessary, Bellone said.

Overnight, 20 families sought refuge in Red Cross shelters, mostly on the eastern end of the county, Bellone said.

Despite the good news, Cuomo said he doesn't want New Yorkers to be complacent. "There is plenty to worry about. The track can change and if that storm moves 40 miles west, we will have a much different situation." Heavy rains and flooding still remain a concern, he said. "We are not out of harm's way," he said.

Dominic Rammuni, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office at Upton, said residents would see the "most impactful" weather from Henri Sunday morning as the storm moved onshore.

"We are talking about heavy rainfall; that's our primary concern," he said.

The weather is expected to begin to improve late Sunday afternoon. Residents can still expect a few showers to move through the region Monday, with the system slowing down. A flood watch will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Monday night, Rammuni said.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said Sunday's early morning advisories were "certainly better" with the storm predicted to move east of Long Island, leaving the area with wind gusts in the 30 to 50 miles per hour range, 3 to 6 inches of rain and tidal surge of 3 to 4 ft.

"Better than hurricane-force winds," he said.

Town officials remained concerned about flooding with tidal surges at the high tide cycle around 11 a.m., Flatley said.

Two shelters were for those wishing to evacuate, the primary at the Southold Community Center and an additional shelter at the Oysterponds Elementary School in Orient, were closed Sunday, Flatley said.