Despite years of inaccurate forecasts, winter weather over-hypes, and consistently warmer and less severe seasons, this past weekend turned out to be right on the money.
Indeed, the Town of Brookhaven and Long Island as a whole were blanketed with snow totalling close to three feet in some areas.
The Town’s Call Center remained open throughout the storm, with garbage pickup suspended for Monday and Tuesday. Municipal facilities also saw closures through Wednesday.
Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) declared a state of emergency on Sunday. The Senior Citizen Division Nutrition Program provided all “homebound Meals on Wheels clients with an extra frozen meal during their Friday delivery in preparation for the storm,” according to the Town’s website.
PSE&G worked rotating sixteen-hour shifts to restore service to customers affected by Winter Storm Hernando. By 8:00a.m. Tuesday, PSE&G Long Island restored about 98% of the nearly 45,000 customers affected, according to a statement. They also report that the electric system “performed well amid snow accumulations that exceeded two feet and peak wind gusts that topped 70mph in some locations.”
About 1,000 customers were still without power as of Tuesday morning, and crews have continued to work to restore service with a team of more than 600 line workers, tree trimmers, surveyors, and other field personnel.
PSE&G Long Island advises that downed power wires should be considered “live” and to stay as far away as possible from them. To report a downed wire, contact PSE&G’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800-490-0075, or call 911.
Electric currents can pass through water or wet snow. PSE&G recommends avoiding pools of slush or standing water.
Generators or gasoline-powered engines should not be used inside a home, basement, garage, or less than 20 feet away from any window, door, or vent.
Town-Wide Accumulations
These are obtained from unofficial reports by NBC New York.
North Patchogue: 30” – the ostensible first-place finish for largest total accumulation.
Holbrook: 29”
Shirley: 28.5”
Gordon Heights: 27.8”
East Shoreham: 24”
Centereach: 23”
Manorville: 22”
Wading River: 20.7”
Bellport: 20”
Upton: 19.8”
Stony Brook: 19.7”
Ridge: 19.6”
Records Shattered
Moreover, the Town of Islip has received 31” inches overall, unofficially shattering single-day snowfall records going back to 1963. The preliminary reports also show Islip having notched fourth place in terms of accumulation from the Mid-Atlantic to New England. Only Rhode Island T.F. Green International airport (37.9”), New Bedford, Massachusetts (37.0”), and Lyndhurst, New Jersey (30.7”) received more snow.
