Southampton Town Officials Preparing For Hurricane Joaquin

Town of Southampton officials announced on Thursday that they are preparing for Hurricane Joaquin which is expected to possibly hit Long Island next week.

The Town announced that all local services including the Highway Department, the Police Department, local Fire Departments and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are expected to be fully operational.

“Although the current course of the hurricane is still uncertain, Southampton Town services are working closely with the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services to track the storm’s progress and coordinate emergency services,” the Town wrote in a press release.

Despite the track of the storm, Southampton is likely experience heavy rains, local flooding and possible high wind conditions through the upcoming weekend.

“The Town is taking all necessary precautions,” Supervisor Throne-Holst said. “We can expect impacts from significant rain on Friday and Saturday followed by the impact of Hurricane Joaquin on Sunday and Monday. These two events will impact residents in all parts of Town.”

At a special meeting on Thursday, the Town Board will authorize a continuation of contracts for debris removal services should those services be needed.

The Town will also be providing regular updates on the storm through its website, and through its Facebook postings and e-mails to residents who have registered for these notifications with the Town.

Special instructions will be provided to the community in the event it is necessary for the Supervisor to declare a state of emergency.

In the event evacuations are required in some areas, the Town coordinate with local Fire Departments to distribute information directly to impacted residents.