LONG ISLAND, New York (WABC) — Officials in Nassau and Suffolk counties urged residents to prepare for an approaching storm during a briefing at the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management.
County executives from Nassau and Suffolk counties addressed the public during the briefing, warning residents about the storm’s potential impacts.
“But it’s not the rain as much as the wind that will create the problem,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “We expect wind gusts up to 50 mph, maybe even higher, and that wind will topple wires and trees, and that’s where the problem lies.”
“The primary concern for Nassau County is along the south shore,” said Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive. “We are expecting more severe weather effects in Long Beach, Lido Beach and Freeport, but that could also include any place on the south shore in Nassau County.”
In coastal communities such as Patchogue, residents were preparing their homes ahead of the system’s arrival.
There was already a small amount of water on some southern streets in the Suffolk County village. Residents said flooding in the area is common and expected conditions to worsen as the storm moves through.
Some residents were bringing in outdoor furniture, while others were stocking their refrigerators in case travel becomes difficult.
“Like I said, it’s normal. Well, it’s not normal, but it’s normal for us to hunker down, and the neighbors here all help each other, so it is ok,” one resident said.
“We are hoping that the weather will be ok, and we won’t have too much rain or wind, so we will be ok, I am sure,” another resident said.
Residents across Long Island continued to monitor forecasts and prepare as the region awaits the storm’s arrival.
Peak wind gusts Friday evening through Saturday could reach 55 mph, strong enough to potentially topple trees, bring down branches on wires and cause outages.
PSEG Long Island said it has personnel ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible throughout the storm.
Due to the sea conditions, Long Island Ferry has canceled Cross Sound ferries through Saturday.
Stay with the Eyewitness News AccuWeather team for continuing updates.RELATED | Visit National Water Prediction Service for water level, flood impact information
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