Snow Slams Southampton: Visibility, Drifting Snow Concerns

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town is being slammed by snow Thursday, and Deputy Supervisor Frank Zappone — Supervisor Jay Schneiderman is away — declared a snow emergency at 12:01 a.m.

"Our biggest problem is visibility and drifting snow," Zappone said. "We're down to measuring visibility in feet."

The Southampton Town highway department and the Southampton Police Department are reporting visibility of less than 50 feet on major roads, Zappone said.

"We've had a couple of spin outs, about a dozen, with no injuries to report," he said.

In addition, Zappone said, crews have been having difficulty due to the high winds. "They're having a hard time keeping up. Every time they plow, the wind blows it right back into place," he said.

As of about noon, accumulation around Southampton is between 6 and 8 inches, but drifting on roads such as Sunrise Highway or County Road 39 has been an issue. And wind gusts, of about 45 to 50 miles an hour, have proven problematic, Zappone said. "That's pretty significant. It makes bad conditions worse," he said.

Only a few scattered power outages have been reported around town; all have been addressed by the town's emergency services department, with PSEG notified, Zappone said. "We have more cable lines down that power lines, so we have people calling who can't watch their TVs. But the response for cable issues is not as urgent as for power."

Zappone said the storm is moving through more quickly than anticipated and is expected to pass through by 3 p.m. — good news, so plowing can begin in daylight, he said. "It's hard work but it's always easier when it's daylight," he said.

There's been no need yet for shelters to open but the town's emergency operation center is open. Residents who need help, an ambulance, or food should call 631-728-3400 and "we'll get the right services to them," Zappone said.

Patch courtesy photo.