Storm caused flooding on West Park Avenue

A stretch of West Park Avenue was flooded with several inches of water on Friday, after some residents said that several bulkheads along Reynolds Channel were breached during today's blizzard. Flooding was also reported in the Canals.

"There was minor flooding on West Park due to a small storm surge associated with the storm," City Manager Jack Schnirman told the Herald, adding that the water has since receded. "As high tide rolled in, there was a little water in the city's flood prone areas ... but the water receded as the tide rolled out."

The storm did not cause any major beach erosion, and Schnirman described the city's response to the first major storm to grip Long Beach this season as efficient, though he added that a snow emergency remained in effect and urged residents to stay off the roads until the cleanup effort is complete. The wind and freezing temperatures have been a major challenge for the city's cleanup crews, he said. City officials said that Long Beach had about 7.5 inches of snow, though more than a foot was reported in some areas.

"As snow is plowed in some areas, it blows right back," he said. "DPW had crews were out all night and they'll continue to be out; the workforce, as always, has done an absolutely terrific job and they'll continue snow removal operations until they're cleared."

There were no major emergencies reported during the storm, Schnirman said, adding that the city coordinated emergency response efforts with Nassau County, particularly when it came to maintaining accesibilty for emergency vehicles on the Long Beach Bridge, especially with the Long Beach Medical Center closed. Schnirman praised the city's DPW crews, police officers and firefighters.

"During a major event like this, the volunteer firefighters come in and often spend the night in the firehouses as a precautionary measure so they can be at the ready, and it's greatly appreciated," he said. "The city and all the residents are grateful to the volunteers for coming in and spending time away from their families."

Most residents said the snow removal efforts were smooth, and that some motorists could be seen on the roadways after the snow began to taper off. Still, some decided to just stay indoors.

"I shoveled out this morning, got to the truck and then decided I was going to work from home," said Westholme resident Keith Grant. "Fortunately, it happened on a Friday and many people decided to stay in and have a long weekend."