Thursday, October 1, 2026
Coastal high tides, downed trees and suspended train service were the results of a weekend nor’easter that struck Long Island on Friday and contined with rain on Monday.
Warnings were lifted and the cleanup is under way.
East Rockaway, Island Park, portions of Massapequa, Merrick. Oceanside and Long Beach were the main trouble spots for coastal flooding.
There were power outages across Long Island from the North to South shores and to the tip of Montauk. Beach flooding and erosion occurred throughout the weekend.
PSEG-long Island has restored more power to nearly 100 percent of the customers impacted by the storm that brought down trees and wires, utility officals said.
At least 3 inches of rain accumulated across Long Island. The state of emergency declared by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday remains in efrect through Oct. 25.
"The ground is saturated with water," Nassau County Executuve Bruce Blakeman said on Sunday. That means roots are loosened. It doesn' take much for a tree, especially one full of leaves, to fall over."
Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti said that 41 trees were downed and 35 of them have been cleared.
The town cleaned out storm drains, Ferretti said, noting that the water grabs the leaves and clogs the drains repeatedly.
Long Island Rail Road service on the Long Beach Branch resumed Sunday at 10 p.m. after flooding from the weekend’s nor’easter forced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to suspend service.
Crews worked to address flooding along the branch and assess conditions before trains could return.
The first train left Penn Station for Long Beach at 10:06 p.m. Sunday, marking the return of eastbound service to the branch.
Westbound service resumed Monday morning, with the first train from Long Beach to Penn Station scheduled to depart at 10:29 a.m.
The flooding affected roads, parking lots, parks, lawns and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said on Saturday waves seven- to 10-feet have resulted in substantial erosion from Fire Island To Montauk. Emergency Medical service and fire calls are double compared to an average day, Romaine added.
"Dedicated county employees are working the phones, handling this and following this storm very carefully," he said.
The National Weather Service noted that the storm brought life-threatening rip currents. Beachgoers were advised to stay out of the surf, as rip currents can pull even experienced swimmers away from shore and into deeper water.
Travelers were advised to allow for extra time and be prepared for possible road closures. Motorists were also urged not to drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
