Sandy's impact being felt in Valley Stream

Trees are down throughout Valley Stream, village officials reported Monday night, with Hurricane Sandy's full force being felt. No major flooding has been reported in the community.

With high winds, numerous trees and limbs have already fallen, many taking down power lines. But more damage is expected with the storm expected to continue into Tuesday.

As of 8 p.m., more than 13,000 customers in Valley Stream were without power, according to LIPA, including about 6,300 alone in the village.

Trees that fell early Monday were cleared by the Highway Department so emergency vehicles could pass through the streets, but crews stopped work at about 2 p.m. when the wind became too dangerous for workers.

Mill Brook resident Jim Lavery reported that numerous trees are down in his neighborhood, which is maintained by the Town of Hempstead. He said many streets are blocked by the fallen trees.

At daybreak Tuesday, village Highway Supervisor Tim Leahy will assess the weather conditions and determine if it safe for workers to begin clearing trees.

Mayor Ed Fare, who described the streets as a maze on Monday night, said the village is at the mercy of the storm. He said the ideal scenario would be for Sandy, now downgraded from a hurricane, to continue moving through faster than was initially expected so the cleanup can begin. "We don't know when it's going to stop," he said.

Fare’s morning began at 6:30 a.m. when he visited the Sanitation and then the Highway Department, and told employees that the safety of the village’s manpower is of the utmost importance. Members of the Sanitation Department went out this morning for their regularly scheduled pickups. Fare added that he will likely work closest with the Highway Dtoday because it plays a crucial role in keeping the village safe during storms.

Besides clearing the streets of downed trees, the highway department is also focused on clearing storm drains so there is minimal water buildup. Fare said the village departments are being proactive in dealing with the storm rather than waiting for it to hit. Leahy said that Monday is being treated like a normal day for he and his crew, but much like a snowstorm, additional workers could be called upon.

The Valley Stream Pool also got some attention from Fare as he made sure the pumps were working properly to ensure they could handle the additional water. Also, employees of the Parks Department has been driving around the village and picking up any fallen tree limbs, clearing storm drains and securing loose items, like garbage cans.