December blizzard rocks Long Beach
Residents dig out after major snow storm
It was far from a white Christmas, but a post-Christmas blizzard left Long Beach covered in nearly two feet of thick, white snow.
The blizzard that rocked Long Beach from late Sunday until Monday evening not only brought heaps of snow, but strong, gusty winds and low visibility on roads. While many residents said they remained frustrated because some streets had yet to be plowed, city officials said they were continuing to try to keep the roads and streets safe and secure.
City Manager Charles Theofan declared a snow emergency for Long Beach on Sunday and Monday, after the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Nassau County that was in effect until Monday evening.
Long Island Rail Road stopped running trains on Sunday night, and service remained suspended on Monday morning. As of noon Tuesday, the LIRR's Long Beach branch had continued to suspend service.
City crews began salting and sanding on Sunday and have worked to date plowing snow. Park Avenue, Beech Street and Broadway were all cleared of snow on Monday and secondary roads have been plowed, city officials said. The high winds, however, enabled snow to continue to accumulate on roads that were already plowed.
On Tuesday, more than 1,800 people were without power in Long Beach, while 757 in Lido Beach were also without power. Scott Kemins, Long Beach fire chief, said on Tuesday that the department responded to 30 calls.
“We didn’t have many storm-related calls,” said Kemins, who explained that the department did receive emergency calls during the storm, and that the weather made the job more difficult. “A routine ambulance call turned into going through 3-4 feet of snow getting to someone’s house.”
Kemins also said that there were a decent amount of abandoned vehicles along the streets, which became stuck as a result of the snow.
Kemins noted one serious accident that took place on Sunday. “There was one [accident] Sunday morning where a 25-year old girl was hit by a car at Nevada Ave and West Beech St.,” he said, noting that the accident took place at about 11 a.m. She was listed in critical condition at South Nassau and Oceanside hospital, he said.
