Temperatures dropping, possible hazardous Five Towns road conditions

Severe flooding on the South Shore of Nassau County is morphing into possible hazardous road conditions as the temperature has dropped 20-plus degrees since this morning.

With temperatures expected to drop, salting the roads in the Town of Hempstead is scheduled to get under way at 1 p.m., officials said.

“With that there will be a significant amount of ice on the roads, even though we're out salting, and it will be a dangerous condition,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We're asking everybody to please stay home or stay local. Do not go out on the roads unless you have to. Tomorrow will be a much better day to go shopping.”

County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said that there was around 32 car accidents last night, which is normal amount for a storm like this. There were 104 calls for people trapped in their car due to flooding. One house in East Rockaway was evacuated, but nobody has been injured or have died.

Blakeman said that he expects road conditions to be decent by 10 or 11 a.m. on Saturday.

In Inwood on Friday morning Sasha Young said that the water was up to four feet in some places and vehicles were stuck with water coming up to the doors. Even larger vehicles cannot drive through, she said.

“Giving me Sandy vibes,” Young said, in reference to the hurricane that battered the South Shore and other parts of the East Coast 10 years ago.

Inwood Fire Department and emergency medical crews responded to several storm-related calls and performed several rescues, officials posted on Facebook on Dec. 23.

There were reports of flooding on Rockaway Turnpike, where driving looked hazardous as vehicles moved through flood waters, and at  the entrance to the Long Beach Bridge and Peninsula Boulevard, including the entrances to Lawrence High School, however Superintendent Ann Pedersen said the campus is in good shape.

Lawrence officials said that there was  flooding in the usual places across the village and parts of the golf course at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club is under water. In an email from Mayor Alerx Edelman that was sent out before 11 a.m., noted that the "flooding has crested, flood waters are receding."

There were no reported outages in Lawrence and public works crews responded to clear any obstructions and  check storm drains. 

Additional reporting by Mallory Wilson.