On the afternoon of Jan. 23, cautiously anticipating a major snowstorm, the City of Long Beach declared a snow emergency — beginning 9 p.m. the following night until the emergency is officially lifted. As of the afternoon of Jan. 26, it remains in effect.
The National Weather Service initially warned of nearly 24 hours of continuous snowfall — from pre-dawn on Jan. 25 straight through to Jan. 26 with expected accumulation of 8 to 15 inches cross all of Long Island. By the afternoon of Jan. 25, however, Long Beach was already blanketed in roughly 10 inches of snow, which tapered off to add one more inch before the storm passed.
Familiar with how to handle harsh weather, Long Beach administration prepared ahead of time with 70 pieces of snow removal equipment and 400 tons of salt, as the sanitation department and emergency management team coordinated to maintain safe roadways.
"We are preparing for the worst," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said during a press conference on Jan. 23, noting that a temporary warming center at 1200 Old Country Road in Westbury — the former Nassau County Family Courthouse — would be stocked with blankets, ready meals and other necessities.
The center will remain open "until we determine the cold is gone," he added. It is open, staffed and monitored 24/7.
The snow was forecast to be heavy from late Saturday night through Monday afternoon. Precipitation was expected to mix with sleet and freezing rain for a time Sunday night, with waterfront communities like Long Beach being especially hard hit.
"Our trucks are fueled, our plows are on," Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti said on Jan. 23, adding that vehicles should be removed from residential side streets, if possible, to allow plows to do their job.
During a snow emergency, Long Beach residents are required to remove vehicles from dedicated snow emergency routes:
"Salting becomess less effective when we hit 20 degrees," said Joe Sparacio, commissioner of Nassau County's Office of Emergency Management.
While powdery snow associated with extreme cold typically does not damage electrical equipment, PSEG Long Island officials said hazardous driving conditions, icy roads and reduced visibility could lead to vehicle collisions with utility poles.
Crews and resources were in place to respond as quickly and safely as possible. Michael Sullivan, vice president of electric operations, said the company continues to monitor the storm and has completed system and logistics checks to support timely restoration efforts.
The utility urged customers to prepare in advance, including knowing how to report outages and follow winter safety guidance. PSEG advises people to stay away from downed wires, which should always be considered live, avoid standing water or slush, and never use generators or gasoline-powered equipment indoors or near windows or vents.
Outages can always be reported through the PSEG Long Island mobile app, by texting OUT to 773454, online at psegliny.com/outages, or by calling the 24-hour electric service number at 800-490-0075.
Updates are also available on social media and via the MyPower outage map at mypowermap.psegliny.com.
Long Beach residents are strongly encouraged to visit longbeachny.gov/snow to re-familiarize themselves with snow emergency procedures and evacuation routes, and to sign up to receive community notifications by phone, text or email.
