Snow has fallen across Long Island as forecasters warned that blizzard conditions were expected to intensify throughout the day.
An updated snow count in Lynbrook and East Rockaway reads 24 inches as of Monday afternoon.
Categorized as a blizzard by the National Weather Service, the storm compelled Gov. Kathy Hochul to decare a state of emergency for Long Island, New York City and several other counties. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did likewise, also imposing a temporary travel ban, which was lifted late Monday morning.
As strong winds continued throughout Monday, the conditions prompted Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials to suspend service on the Long Island Rail Road, including the Babylon Branch. Limited service was restored at 4 a.m. Tuesday.
After suspending operations on Sunday, Nassau Inter-County Express buses resumed limited service on Monday afternoon, though several detours remained in effect to facilitate snow-clearing efforts. On Tuesday, the NICE bus service has resumed its full daily schedule, but delays are still possible due to local road conditions.
In Lynbrook, “Firefighters and EMTs had to dig through the snow to reach the residence of a 3-month-old baby in need of aid on Merrick Road Monday morning,” Steve Grogan, the Lynbrook Fire Department’s public information officer, wrote in an email. “The department’s Emergency Medical Company transported the baby to the hospital, who was stable.”
Grogan added that there were five emergency calls between 3 p.m. Sunday and Monday afternoon, though none involved a fire.
Both the Lynbrook and East Rockaway fire departments have urged residents to help to make sure fire hydrants are cleared of snow, so they are easily accessible when needed. “Seconds count in a fire, and a buried hydrant can severely delay fire operations for your Lynbrook firefighters,” Chief Clayton Murphy said in a statement.
The storm forced the closing of schools in the East Rockaway and Lynbrook school districts on Monday and Tuesday.
“The district’s 183-day calendar includes three designated snow days to account for potential weather-related closures,” Lynbrook Superintendent Paul Lynch said in a statement on Monday. “As of now, we have used one snow day, and the state has granted a waiver due to the declared state of emergency in our area for today’s closure. We remain prepared with two additional snow days built into the calendar before needing to re-evaluate our options.”
Young people involved in the St. Raymond Religious Education program in East Rockaway were encouraged to shovel snow for neighbors to fulfill their confirmation service hours.
The East Rockaway Public Library was closed on Monday, and the Lynbrook Public Library closed Sunday and Monday, postponing the weekend’s Courting the Jester concert to spring.
Michela Argento-Serra, president of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, noted the impact of the storm on local businesses. “This significant snowstorm reminds us how quickly business conditions can change,” she wrote in a text. “When severe weather hits, deliveries are delayed, foot traffic slows and employees may struggle to commute safely. Our village works tirelessly to help our community in these difficult times and we are truly thankful. We hope that this will be a short recovery time and everyone will be up and running soon as possible.”
Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach and the village board sent out a Winter Storm Alert for Sunday and Monday, indicating that all sanitation collection had been suspended. Monday’s sanitation collection for garbage was rescheduled for Wednesday, and Tuesday’s was pushed to Thursday. Recycling and special pick ups were suspended for the week.
On Saturday afternoon, Blakeman held a news conference at Nickerson Beach in Lido Beach, announcing the county's preparedness plan that will go into action early Sunday morning.“We’ll have about 75 trucks on the road, first salting and preparing the roads and highways," Blakeman said. "When the accumulation reaches approximately three inches, they will be out plowing for the duration.”
