Bellone: Some Areas Dodged a Bullet, Suffolk Did Not

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone urged residents to remain off the roads Tuesday as the county digs out from a blizzard that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some areas.

“We are still dealing with a real storm here in Suffolk County,” Bellone said during a press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Lindenhurst Tuesday afternoon. “While many parts of the region may feel like they dodged a bullet, that is not the case here in Suffolk County.”

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The state is sending 500 pieces of snow-removal equipment to the county, along with 100 National Guard members, Cuomo said.

“Suffolk took it right on the chin,” he said.

As of noon, 28.5 inches of snow was reported in Orient, 24 inches in Hampton Bays, 20.9 at MacArthur Airport and 16 inches in Deer Park.

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The governor has lifted a state-ordered travel ban for the island, with local bans remaining in effect on the East End, but he said many roads remain treacherous.

“If you don’t have to be driving around, you shouldn’t be driving around,” Cuomo said.

Bellone credited the travel ban that was enacted late Monday night with helping to prevent a repeat of a blizzard in February 2013, when hundreds of motorists became stranded on roadways.

A winter storm warning remains in effect in Suffolk County until 7 p.m. Monday.

Bellone said that even when the snow stops falling, there will still be a lot more work to be done to clean up the mess.

“A huge amount of snow still has to be removed from our roadways,” he said.

Photo by Tracy Cosme/East Patchogue