While there’s no snow in the forecast this time, Long Island is set to see heavy rain and winds, beginning Tuesday and ending early Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the rain is set to begin around 1 p.m. Tuesday, and will continue through the night with a significant increase in the evening. Additionally, wind gusts could reach up to 60 miles per hour.
This evening increase will coincide with high tide, which could be a problem for the coast.
“There will probably be widespread of one to two feet inundation along the vulnerable areas on the coast,” the NWS told the Press. “You locally could get up to three feet of inundation. The greatest probability of damaging winds will be from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.”
The storm should taper off Wednesday morning.
Local governments are preparing for this event, with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman holding a press conference on Monday.
“If you have a power outage, and you remember to charge your cell phone call PSE&G,” Blakeman said. “You can report downed power lines to them. But you can also call 911. We would like to know if there are downed power lines because obviously, they can be dangerous. If there is a downed power line, stay clear of it.”
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Rich Corbett added that due to the rain from the weekend, the ground is moderately saturated, which makes ponding a potential problem.
“We’ve had such torrential rainstorms the last couple of days, so the ground is saturated,” Corbett said to reporters. “Our biggest fear is going to be falling trees and stuff that gets blown around. Don’t drive through a flooded road, you’re not going to make it to the other side. If you see a downed power line, don’t go near it – electricity travels through water. Always exercise caution.”
Corbett added that the South Shore could see waves of up to 20 feet breaking.
A spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said that Romaine will issue a statement tomorrow, but confirmed to the Press that a state of emergency will be declared for Fire Island due to the erosion threat.
To report a downed wire, call PSE&G Long Island at at 800-490-0075 or call 911. To report an outage, you can text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or use the PSE&G website or app.
