Henri blows across Valley Stream, bringing rain

As of Sunday afternoon, Village of Valley Stream officials remained on high alert as the outer bands of Tropical Storm Henri swirled across the area, even though the storm did not pack the powerful punched that was expected.

Steve Acquavella, the Valley Stream Department of Public Works supervisor, said emergency officials were on standby and were still prepared for the worst. “The village of Valley Stream is definitely prepared,” Acquavella said. All of the village’s emergency response trucks and cleanup crews were on the streets, combing the neighborhoods, he said.

“We’re looking for any situation that can pose a danger to the public like downed tree limbs or fallen power lines,” Acquavella said. “We’re cleaning all the drains and clearing them of debris.”

As of 8 a.m. today, all storm-related calls should go directly to the DPW at (516) 825-8494. “People are manning the phones right now in case of any call-ins on any emergencies,” Acquavella said, also noting that the Valley Stream Fire Department is on alert.

Yesterday afternoon, village officials announced on the village website and their Facebook page that Hendrickson Park and interior park facilities, including the Community Center, would be closed until further notice. The village pool was expected to reopen Aug. 23, weather conditions permitting.

Early Sunday, Henri was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm as its wind speed dropped from an average of 75 to 70 mph. As of the National Hurricane Center’s latest update at 11 a.m., Henri was continuing its charge north-northwest at 12 mph, with maximum sustained winds at 60 mph and strong wind gusts. The Hurricane Center’s advisory warned of heavy rainfall, which could turn into flash flooding.

But apart from rainfall, Valley Stream had yet to bear the brunt of the storm as of midday.