Town declares snow emergency

East Meadow School District cancels after-school and evening activities for Feb. 8 and 9.

Posted

In preparation of winter storm Nemo, which is is expected to blanket the south shore of Long Island with anywhere from eight to 14 inches of snow, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray has declared a snow emergency.

Under town code, residents are asked to remove their cars from town roadways when a snow emergency is in effect, so salters and plowers have a clear path to maintain roads.

“With several inches of snow and blizzard conditions being forecast, we are asking homeowners to give us a hand by removing vehicles from the curbside,” said Murray in a written release. “Hundreds of town workers will do their best to keep local roadways passable. Our employees will be working hard to clear streets from curb to curb, and can only be successful if their path is free of obstacles."

The Town of Hempstead is responsible for moving snow from 1,200 miles of town roadways and municipal parking fields in unincorporated areas of the town. A spokesperson for the Town of Hempstead said the plows are fueled and ready to go.

In East Meadow, the town is responsible for maintaining Bellmore Avenue, Carman Avanue, East Meadow Avenue, Merrick Avenue, North Jerusalem Road, Old Country Road, Salisbury Park Drive and Stewart Avenue, in addition to all side streets.

The maintenance of Hempstead Turnpike, Newbridge Road and Front Street are the state's responsibility.

The town's Highways Department is equipped with Smart Boards so they can easily monitor and communicate with its trucks in order to assure peak maintenance, said the town's spokesperson.

“We would also ask residents to be considerate, asking them not to shovel snow from their sidewalks and driveways into the public street," said Murray. "This will keep roadways as clear as possible while reducing the risk of shoveled snow being redeposited into driveways by subsequent plowing operations.

All after school and evening activities in the East Meadow School District have been canceled for Friday, Feb. 8, said a district spokeswoman. All activities for Saturday, Feb. 9 have also been canceled.

Murray also said the town participated in preparatory conference calls with National Grid officials, LIPA managers and the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management yesterday to game plan for the pending storm, and develop a protocol for local government and utility cooperation.

“National Grid has assured me they are prepared to handle the challenges presented by today’s snow storm," said the Supervisor. "But, time will tell, and nerves are already frayed from the memories of the Sandy debacle. I reminded the utility they are out of excuses, and residents will be demanding both a top-notch commitment to power restoration and forthright updates throughout this storm.”

State Sen. Kemp Hannon, who represents East Meadow, posted the following information on his website:

To report power outages or downed power lines:

· LIPA Hotline: 800 490-0075

24 Hour Gas Emergency Service:

· National Grid 800-490-0045

Information on mass transit service:

· LIRR 24 hour travel information center: 718-217-5477 or www.mta.info/lirr

· NICE Bus travel information: 516-228-4000 or www.nicebus.com

· NYC Transit travel information: 718-330-1234 or www.mta.info

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

· NYS Department of Transportation’s 511 service: Call 5-1-1 or www.511ny.org.

To report snow plowing issues:

Town maintained roads:

· Town of Hempstead: 516-489-5000

· Town of Oyster Bay: 516-677-5757

Village maintained roads:

· Village of Farmingdale: 516-249-0111

· Village of Garden City: 516-465-4000

· Village of Hempstead: 516-489-3400

County maintained roads:

· Nassau County: 888-684-4274

State maintained roads:

· New York State Department of Transportation: 631-904-3059

As always, you can also contact my office at 516-739-1700, hannon@nysenate.gov, or visit kemphannon.com should you need additional assistance.