State Of Emergency Reissued For Storm-Socked Dune Road

HAMPTON BAYS — As a heavy storm moves across the East End Wednesday night, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman reissued a local state of emergency for Dune Road with an eye toward protecting the area from further damage after last week's nor'easter.

The order will remain effect for two weeks to allow emergency restoration work to be performed.

Last week's storm sparked major flooding on Dune Road.

"The sand barrier is thin and will not withstand a minor storm," the supervisor said. "We need federal help with this from the United States Army Corp of Engineers."

On Monday, Schneiderman said he planned to convene a meeting toward the end of the week to develop a strategy.

The primary dune washed away last Thursday night near the town's commercial dock. Schneiderman issued the emergency order effective Thursday due to severe erosion and the potential of coastal flooding along the eastern end of Dune Road in Hampton Bays, he said.

The section of greatest concern was east of the Ponquogue Bridge and opposite the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock, town officials said.

Schneiderman spent hours on Dune Road on Thursday and over the weekend; Suffolk County's response was tremendous, the supervisor said.

"The county ended up moving 200 truckloads of sand, relocating it from stock piles,"
Schneiderman said. The area was very close to breaching, with almost no dune left on the eastern end of Dune Road, he added.

The county, he said, "was holding back the tide. It's an impressive project. They were able to mobilize very quickly." County Executive Steve Bellone, he said, was "incredible. He directed his staff to do whatever was necessary to support the Town of Southampton."

Southampton Town Police Chief Steve Skrynecki was on Dune Road, Schneiderman added, along with other department members and bay constables. "There's a huge county mobilization there right now," Schneiderman said Thursday night. "We're shutting down the power to protect the workers."

Crews worked on Dune Road throughout the day Friday after fierce storms caused severe flooding.

Efforts continued throughout the day Friday as other tide cycles moved in, he said. "This is not a small operation," Schneiderman said at the time. "It got really bad, really fast."

The area most affected was the spot on the ocean by the town's commercial dock, the supervisor said. "Because of the angle of the waves and the position of the jetty, it creates a swirling motion that just pulls out a lot. There was a very big dune right there and it pretty much disappeared."

Other areas hit hard around town included the area near Peconic Bay, as well as sections of Quogue, Schneiderman said.

The supervisor's declaration indicates an emergency exists or likely will exist and allows the closing of streets and other measures as deemed necessary, a release from the town said. In addition, the emergency declaration allows the town to accelerate any required coordination with the New York Start Department of Environmental Conservation to move sand and rebuild the dune, and it also allows the town to request assistance from the Suffolk County Department of Public Works to bring in heavy equipment to reconstruct the dune, if necessary.