Just as most of the remnants from January’s winter storm had melted away, a new blizzard dumped two feet of snow on the community.
The storm, which intensified late last week, prompted Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency on Feb. 21. Hochul also stationed 100 members of the New York National Guard across downstate New York and activated the state Emergency Operations Center in Albany.
Both the Peninsula Public Library and Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library were closed to begin the week. Students in Hewlett-Woodmere and Lawrence got an extended break as schools remained closed on Monday and Tuesday.
At 1 a.m. on Sunday, the MTA and LIRR announced a “proactive service suspension,” which carried into the middle of the week for the Far Rockaway line. MTA service was restored on Tuesday morning.
Town of Hempstead crews worked from Sunday night into Tuesday morning, performing curb-to-curb cleanups across 1,200 miles of roadway.
In Cedarhurst, Mayor Benjamin Weinstock worked with the Department of Public Works Sunday night into Monday morning. On the village’s Facebook page, the board of trustees released a statement, thanking Weinstock and public works crews for clearing streets in frigid, windy conditions.
“Yes, it may be your job—but when you go above and beyond because you truly care, it means everything to our village,” the statement read.
State Assemblyman Ari Brown, who resides in Cedarhurst, thanked village and town officials, as well as the Department of Public Works crews for their service during the storm and reminded residents to remain indoors. “Stay off the roads if you can and please check on your elderly neighbors,” he said.
To prevent pipes from freezing, residents in Atlantic Beach were advised to keep their thermostats set at a minimum of 60 degrees and allow faucets along exterior walls to drip slightly, according to village officials.
With wind gusts nearing 43 miles per hour, officials also urged residents to secure outdoor furniture and loose items, and to move their vehicles off the streets to assist with snow removal and emergency access.
On Monday, PSEG Long Island deployed more than 600 line workers, tree trimmers, surveyors, and other personnel to help more than 45,000 customers without power, as winds exceeding 40 miles per hour knocked down trees and wires. As of Tuesday morning, 98 percent of all outages were resolved, including new ones from overnight winds. PSEG reminded both customers and residents to always stay away from downed wires, and to never drive over them or stand near them.
