High winds knocking down utility poles and street signs in the Five Towns area

Updated March 2 at 9:40 p.m.

Heavy rain, snow and high winds hit the Five Towns as a nor’easter came through the South Shore on March 2.

The Inwood Fire Department is reporting that the Rockaway Metals building on Roger Avenue is dropping pieces of its roof onto other structures in the immediate area, and a utility pole on Wanser Avenue could fall. Officials said to use caution when traveling. Should a power outage occur use generators outdoors.

Several traffic signals are are not working in Hewlett are and the street signs are down because of the winds, according to motorists.

In Atlantic Beach, Mayor George Pappas said he drove through the village and there was no flooding. "We had a power outage, but [the power] is back on. A pole was down on Park Street near the Water Club outside the village.Our drainage projects this fall seemed to work!”

Pappas also reported that Park Street in Atlantic Beach Estates was closed because of a downed utility pole.

Lawrence village officials said they spent Thursday clearing catch basins in advance of the storm and no road is not impassable, they said. Village employees are on alert for possible falling tree limbs.

Flooding was reported in Cedarhurst as the municipal parking lot off Cedarhurst Avenue looked like “a lake” according to village resident Monica Rzewski.

There is a high wind warning in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds are forecast to be 25 to 40 mph from the north with gusts up to 60 mph. The heaviest winds are expected Friday afternoon and night.

It is possible that the winds could bring down trees and power lines, with the potential for power outages. Travel could be difficult.

PSEG Long Island is reporting 49,529 of its nearly 1.1 million customers across Long Island and the Rockaways are currently without power. As of 9 p.m., the utility has restored service to 82,011 of the more than 131,540 customers affected by today's storm. PSEG Long Island has, in total, more than 900 restoration personnel onsite to address outages.

"The high winds and heavy rains have caused a significant amount of damage," said John O'Connell, vice president of transmission and distribution for PSEG Long Island. "We are working to bring all critical facilities, including the Long Island Rail Road, back online, and will continue to restore outages affecting the largest numbers of customers first. Be assured, we are working around the clock to restore service as quickly and safely as possible."

Be prepared and stay safe during extreme weather:

Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything contacting the wire. To report a downed wire call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 1-(800)-490-0075

To report and receive status updates on an outage Text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or to report an outage online visit www.psegliny.com/stormcenter.