A blizzard swept across Long Island. More than 13 inches covered Long Beach, with up to 15 inches in Point Lookout. Another round of snow passed through on Feb. 25, recarpeting the ground with an additional one to two inches expected over the next three days. The City of Long Beach declared and official snow emergency, which lasted Feb. 22 until Feb. 25.
Long Beach bus service and NICE bus service have been restored to a regular schedule, but service on the LIRR Long Beach branch is operating on a special schedule due to rail conditions. The Long Beach School District closed schools Feb. 23 and 24, but reopened on Feb. 25. The Long Beach Board of Education meeting scheduled for Feb. 24 was canceled.
24 hours before the storm began, Long Beach was already implementing their preparedness plan. Long Beach City Council President Brendan Finn explained that ample salt and snow clearing equipment were at the ready, and the plan was enacted early Sunday morning. Snow removal operations continued during and after the snowfall.
Until roads are fully cleared, city officials remind residents to keep the roadways as clear as possible. While shoveling residential areas is important for overall safety, avoid shoveling snow from sidewalks back onto the street, which can significantly hinder snow removal operations. Residents should visit LongBeachNY.gov/snow to review snow emergency procedures and routes.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced the opening of two temporary warming centers. A women-only center is at 1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd in Uniondale — the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex. Men and families can shelter at 1200 Old Country Road in Westbury — formerly the Nassau County Family Court building.
A blizzard is defined as a severe winter storm lasting at least three hours, characterized by sustained winds or frequent gusts over 35 mph and considerable falling/blowing snow that reduces visibility to less than a 1/4 mile. The storm has had winds gusting up to 45 to 55 mph in some areas.
On Feb. 24, PSEG Long Island determined that the storm downed trees, branches and wires, affecting nearly 45,000 customers across Long Island and the Rockaways. PSEG had repair crews dispatched in multiples areas across Long Beach and Lido Beach performing field repairs and addressing damaged utility equipment, and estimates that more than 99% of interrupted services have been restored.
Blakeman suggested calling PSEG directly to report any power outages: (800) 490-0075. Dialing 911 should be reserved for emergencies, medical or otherwise. Residents are reminded not to call 911 to report a basic power outage — but the emergency number can be used to report downed power lines.
