48.0°,
Overcast Lynbrook, East Rockaway prepares for Hurricane Irene; phone information for services
Some evacuating, some staying in their homes
Lynbrook and East Rockaway officials have begun preparing for Hurricane Irene.
In a recorded message sent to the homes in East Rockaway, village officials urged residents to follow the suggestions of County Executive Ed Mangano, who called for a mandatory evacuation in our area for those living south of Sunrise Highway from Queens to Rockville Centre, and from south of Merrick Road from Rockville Centre east.
According to the National Weather Service:
Tonight: Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 71. East wind 34 to 39 mph increasing to between 38 and 48 mph. Winds could gust as high as 60 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts in excess of 4 inches possible.
Sunday: Hurricane conditions expected. Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 77. North wind 55 to 75 mph decreasing to between 45 and 55 mph. Winds could gust as high as 85 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. A chance of showers, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northwest wind 24 to 29 mph decreasing to between 16 and 21 mph. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
East Rockaway officials issued this statement on their website “The Mayor [Fran Lenahan] and the Board of Trustees, as well as our emergency preparedness team led by Jim Carrigan, and the Department of Public Works, Fire Department and the East Rockaway Auxiliary Police Unit are closely monitoring Hurricane Irene as it approaches the East Coast.” They are advising all residents to tune into their local news or weather channels or NOAA Weather for storm updates. Evacuation roads and shelters will be announced within 24 hours of the rainfall, officials said.
In Lynbrook, the police department will monitor the storm’s path, and the village’s Department of Public Works will be cleaning storm water drains, amongst other responsibilities. A hurricane preparedness warning will be broadcast on the village TV channel, LYN-TV. Residents can watch channel 20 on Cablevision, and 33 on Verizon FIOS for information.
During the storm, Lynbrook police will be making patrols, and workers will be on hand for cleanups and repairs. The village’s emergency management office will be open two hours before the storm hits the area, said Mayor Bill Hendrick. He advises residents to stay inside, refrain from driving in heavy winds, watch out for old trees that could fall, and take “common-sense” precautions. Those residents south of Sunrise Highway should seek alternate shelter, he said. “We are going to keep a special eye on any problematic areas,” he added.
