Nassau, Suffolk County Execs Declare State of Emergency Across Long Island Ahead Of Nor'Easter

YAPHANK, NY — Long Island's two county executives declared a state of emergency across the region on Friday during an update on emergency preparations for the nor’easter expected to significantly impact the region this weekend, with the possibility of more severe flooding along the South Shore due to the combination of high winds at high tide during the full moon.

The news came as Suffolk Executive Ed Romaine and Nassau Executive Bruce Blakeman outlined emergency response measures, coordination with municipalities, and important information for residents at Suffolk's Office of Emergency Management in Yaphank.

More declarations came later in the day, including from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico.

Blakeman explained that high tide is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday morning, and it will be during a full moon, which is going to increase the possibility of flooding. If the first high tide has not dissipated, the second high tide will be very “problematic” at 8 p.m., he said.

“We are hoping that the first high tide will dissipate, but it depends on the wind direction and the coastal direction of whether or not the winds are blowing in a certain direction or not, when they're blowing the ocean into the bay, that's when it's a big issue,” he said. “So hopefully we won't have that issue, but that could create major flooding. That's one of our biggest concerns.”

He and Romaine urged residents to stay home if they don't have to go out.

“Stay off the road,” he said. “Only if it's a necessity, go out, and it should be a very important necessity if you go out after 9 p.m. tonight. Everybody should be tucked in and stay in, because again, tomorrow it looks like it'll be the most severe part of the weather storm that we're facing.”

Both Romaine and Blakeman expect toppled trees and wires, as well as power outages, and said their assets are ready to help residents.

Blakeman said the primary concern for Nassau County is along the South Shore, from Atlantic Beach through East Rockaway to Massapequa,” he said. “We are expecting more severe weather effects in Long Beach, Lido Beach, and Freeport, but that could also include any place on the South Shore in Nassau County.”

But the damage will not only be confined there.

Blakeman expects areas like Port Washington and Bayville on Nassau’s North Shore to take a hit.

The Long Island Fair at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, as well as all activities, and permits for Nassau on Saturday have been canceled.

Blakeman does not anticipate any evacuations, but in the event there are, Nassau Community College will serve as a shelter. The family courthouse in Westbury will also be used for any homeless people who need shelter during the storm.

Romaine said there is concern about low-lying areas on Suffolk’s South Shore, like Center Moriches, Mastic Beach, Shirley, Lindenhurst, and East Patchogue. County officials could consider an evacuation of Fire Island, depending on the latest weather report, and noted that at “some point the ferries to Fire Island will stop operating.”

The ferry to Connecticut from Orient stopped operating Thursday afternoon because of anticipated ocean waves of eight to 12 feet and waves as high as three to five feet in the Long Island Sound. He believes the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport Ferry will follow suit soon, and cancel its ferries.

“If you're on Fire Island, have a plan because I'd leave now,” he said. “I'd leave now because once the storm starts, it's going to be very difficult to get to you. So secure your house on Fire Island. Plan on leaving if you live further east along the ocean, secure your house and make sure you can get out if things turn bad in terms of flooding.”

FRES Commissioner Rudy Sunderman said he expects four high tide cycles that his office will be watching, with the first two expected to be around 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday. Officials are watching Smith Point Beach and the Southampton area out east.

There could possibly be two feet of water above ground level possible, but officials are concerned about portions of southwest Suffolk County, such as Lindenhurst and Babylon, could see up to three feet above ground level, he said.

Romaine said the high tide will depend on the direction of the wind, and that a breach Fire Island is a concern.

“We've had several breaches along Fire Island in the past that we've had to fill in,” he said, noting that the breach at Bellport Bay took over 10 years filled itself back in.

Fire Island was previously breached at several locations during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, leading to heavy flooding along areas of the South Shore and catastrophic property damage.

What’s Expected

“We are facing a serious storm,” said Romaine, adding that it is expected for the rain to start about 5 p.m. tonight and continue into midday Sunday.

Four to five inches of rain are expected that will create local flooding in low-lying areas, and that also the wind gusts of up to 50mph or higher will create a “problem” and “topple wires and trees,” according to Romaine.

Massive erosion is expected along ocean beaches, he said.

He noted that at Smith Point County Park in Shirley, the Atlantic Ocean is at the foot of the steps, and there is no more beach.

“You step into the ocean, and the storm hasn't truly begun,” he said. “So we are very concerned about the impact of the storm. And what we would urge everyone to do is, if you don't have to go out during the heavy rainfall, don't go out.”

Some of the heaviest winds are going to be for eastern Suffolk, but officials have watched the northeaster, “and interestingly enough, in the last few hours, it's turned a little bit more west, which means that we're concerned about western Suffolk and flooding there,” Romaine said.

“If this turns really west, it could have a major impact on the City of New York,” he added.

Blakeman said he and Romaine have taken a regional approach to the emergency and are working together to share assets and information, noting that the storm will be “more impactful than originally thought.”

“This is going to be what they call on the higher end of a nor'easter,” he said. “It'll slowly strengthen. It's going to start early evening tonight, and it will continue on until Sunday.”

He could not be certain when it will dissipate, so officials are taking it on an hourly basis, however, he expected “that there will be residual issues going into Sunday evening and maybe Monday morning.”

Preparations In Place

Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the department is increasing staffing and positioning additional resources throughout the county, “so we can respond quickly to storm-related calls as conditions worsen.”

He’s redeploying all of the plainclothes officers from the third platoon going forward throughout the weekend to uniform and specialized highway units on the roadways for supplemental 911 coverage.

“So, you're going to see a lot more cops out there,” he said.

Another Emergency Services Unit truck will be deployed for additional coverage.

“We also will have three humvees that the ESU officers will have the ability to utilize, if necessary, for high water rescues,” he said, adding that the Marine Bureau is adding three more John boats, which are flat-bottomed boats that can respond to emergency water-type rescues.

They will be available for areas like Northport and Port Jefferson that are known to experience flooding after storms.

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said that both counties will be working as one “seamless” team.

“We went over – checked all the boxes – to make sure everything is being covered,” he said. “The one thing that we will ask is that if you live in the flood zone, move those vehicles that you have out of the flood zone up to the public parking locations like the railroad.”

If there is an evacuation that goes into place in Nassau, officers and firefighters will be going door to door warning residents they have to get out.

Sunderman said Suffolk activated its emergency operations center Friday at 11 a.m. and officials “will remain activated through the weather event.”

“Multiple state, county, utility, public safety, law enforcement have been on site since 11 a.m., and we will continue to monitor the weather and the conditions throughout the storm,” he said.

Both Nassau and Suffolk are prepared to respond to emergencies as conditions develop, but warned residents need to take precautions and remain vigilant, according to Sunderman.

“We encourage everyone here in Suffolk County to monitor our official county communications and sign up for Suffolk Alerts by texting Suffolk Alerts,” he said, adding, “That's one word: 67283. We're going to continue to monitor the storm. We will work closely with both county executives and keep everybody informed.”

Tips To Keep Residents Safe

Romaine urged residents not to drive in flooded areas, if there are downed wires to call PSEG, and 911 in the case of a true emergency.

“We have our call center on; we have people ready, and we want to be able to respond as quickly as possible and recover from the storm,” he said.

Drones have been deployed to assess the region, and will be deployed again after the storm to assess the damage, according to Romaine.

Blakeman urged residents to prepare by making sure that their cellphones are charged, and that they have flashlights handy, not candles, which are a fire hazard. Electric vehicles should not be stored in areas that can flood because they can catch fire. He also said that anyone celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot should secure any religious structures.

He said residents should be very grateful for law enforcement, first responders, and the fire service, especially volunteers.

“I know that both in Nassau and Suffolk County, we have people who step up each and every day to keep us safe,” he said. “So we want to thank them. They're all stepping up to the plate again for this weekend, many of them will not be going home. They'll be spending the night in the firehouse or at the OEM, and we just want to say that we are grateful and thank them.”