Recovering from Nemo

A major winter storm dubbed "Nemo" slammed into Long Island’s South Shore Friday into Saturday morning, Feb. 8 to 9, and dumped anywhere from eight to 14 inches of snow on Baldwin.

With drifts piled high on nearly every road, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray declared a snow emergency and asked all residents to keep their cars off the streets to allow plows to work unencumbered.

Before noon on Friday, officials at the Baldwin Schools had already decided to cancel all activities for Friday and Saturday and communicated with parents via a Blackboard Connect telephone message. District spokeswoman Cristina Schmohl said the schools would make a plan of action for Monday some time over the weekend.

During the day on Friday, NWS forecasters said, early-morning snow would change over to rain, as temperatures reached a high of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, but snow fell relentlessly overnight, totaling more than a foot in most parts of Baldwin with drifts reaching heights of three feet. As the storm tore across Baldwin overnight wind speeds  between 25 and 29 mph were reported with gusts up to 55 mph. By 9 a.m. on Saturday, the snow had largely stopped falling, but winds whipped up loose snow, decreasing visibility. Winds died down a bit, to 23 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 48 mph.

Of course, it wasn't all doom and gloom in the snow-covered hamlet. Sledding in Baldwin Park was a popular choice the morning following the storm, and the sound of snow blowers mingled with the happy barking of dogs allowed out to frolic in the snow.

The following are emergency numbers from New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr.:

To report power outages or downed power lines:

•     Long Island Power Authority/National Grid: (800) 490-0075

24-hour emergency gas service:

•     National Grid: (800) 490-0045

Information on mass transit service:

•     Long Island Rail Road 24-hour travel information center: (718) 217-5477 or www.mta.info/lirr
•     NICE Bus travel information: (516) 228-4000 or www.nicebus.com
•     New York City Transit travel information: (718) 330-1234 or www.mta.info

Up-to-the-minute information about traffic conditions on Long Island’s major roads:

•     New York State Department of Transportation’s 511 service: Call 5-1-1 or www.511ny.org

To report snow-plowing issues:

•     Town of Hempstead: (516) 489-5000
•     State Department of Transportation: (631) 904-3059

Anthony Rifilato and Scott Brinton contributed to this story.