Lynbrook, East Rockaway weather the storm

Updated: 3:9 p.m. Thursday: As predicted, a powerful winter storm rolled into the greater metropolitan area after midnight on Thursday morning, bringing with it snow, frigid temperatures and heavy winds. Lynbrook and East Rockaway have already received more than 9 inches as of 2:15 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued a Blizzard Warning and a Coastal Flood Advisory for Nassau County on Thursday morning. It is expected to last through Friday morning.

Most parts of Nassau County are predicted to receive up to eight inches of snow when all is said and done, with localized totals as high as 10 inches, while Suffolk could see up to 14 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow plows from the Village of Lynbrook's Department of Public Works have been clearing the streets since 12 a.m. At that time, the village deployed six plows, but as the storm progressed, the number of plows increased to about 20. Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach urged residents to keep their cars off of the streets while the plows are out.

Three Lynbrook Fire Department companies are also on standby all day and all night for any fire emergencies that may arise during the storm. Beach said that last week the fire department had to respond to a house fire on Sherman Street because a resident was using a space heater to keep warm during the cold snap.

"Any time you have inclement weather, people will do things to stay warm at home," Beach said. "They want a little extra heat and sometimes they can be a little too close to something flammable."

Lynbrook residents with concerns are urged to call Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Cribbin at (516) 599 - 8300.

East Rockaway has had 11 plows circulating the area since 7:15 a.m. According to Department of Public Works Superintendent, the plows will continue to circulate for the duration of the storm unless there is low visibility for the drivers. He urged everyone to stay off the roads so that the plows can travel through the village.

Conklin also said that DPW crews salted the major intersections, inclines and the roads surrounding schools at around 2:35 a.m.

"I'm hoping that when everything stops, we'll have all the roads and municipal parking lots open," Conklin said.

Weather forecasters had warned that the storm system could shift off its current track. If it were to have veered farther east, into the Atlantic, snow totals would have been smaller. It, however, stayed farther to the west, bringing greater snow amounts across Long Island.

The extreme cold will be worrisome on Thursday, according to the NWS. The temperature could drop to as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and as low as -5 degrees, later in the day, with the wind chill factored in. Winds could gust to as high as 40 to 50 miles per hour.

Lynbrook has had two power outages, affecting 43 customers, according to PSEG Long Island.