Southampton Prepares For Tropical Storm Conditions As Jose Nears

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town is battening down the hatches and preparing for tropical storm conditions sparked by Hurricane Jose Tuesday.

As a precaution, the town will open its Office of Emergency Management beginning at noon on Tuesday, town officials said.

While Hurricane Jose is expected to travel east of Long Island, it remains in the “cone of uncertainty” and the East End of Long Island could feel tropical storm conditions with high winds, tidal surge, heavy rain and flooding, a release from Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for both Nassau and Suffolk Counties until further notice.

The Tropical Storm watch means sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within 48 hours. The National Weather Service says the Town of Southampton could see up to 5 inches of rain and coastal waves could be increased to 20 feet. Areas prone to flooding should be prepared for possible flooding.

Residents are being urged to make sure they have batteries and water should there be power outages. They are also urged to have gas for generators. Generators and grills should only be used outdoors.

The Town of Southampton website has important information for storm preparations, contact information, emergency numbers and access to a pocket guide for tips on how to prepare.

Residents who register on the website can also receive storm updates.

According to town officials, lawn furniture and outside items should be brought inside or tied down. Those in low lying areas should consider moving to higher ground for the duration of the storm. In an emergency use 911. But all non-emergency calls — for example, to report a tree limb down that is not attached to wires — should be directed to the Southampton Town Police Department at 631-728-5000.