Sea Cliff sees high winds and flash flooding from Elsa

A flash food warning was in effect for all of Nassau Count until noon today. Tropical Storm Elsa continues to blow across the region, bringing with it high winds and steady rain, according to the National Weather Service.

As the tropical storm continues to pummel the area with heavy rain and strong winds, Elsa has already left thousands without power across the state and caused widespread street flooding.

Many North Shore residents are reporting road closures and flash flooding throughout the village. Most notably, route 107, which runs from Massapequa to Glen Cove, was closed Friday morning as motorists were met with flash floods up to and beyond the tires of their vehicles, stranding them on the roadway.

Additionally, Sea Cliff Beach will be closed on Friday, the village noting the over five inches of rain could lead to an increase in bacteria present in the water and higher than normal wake, making the beach dangerous to visitors.

According to an update from PSEG Long Island at 11 a.m. on Friday, over 9,000 of its nearly 1.1 million customers remain without power. Since the storm’s arrival on Thursday, PSEG Long Island has restored power to more than 14,500 customers in total. 

Winds between 35 to 40 mph have been reported across the county Friday morning, with wind gusts up to 55 mph possible. The weather service warned of the potential for scattered downed trees, branches and power lines. The storm is expected to taper off Friday afternoon, with a 30 percent chance of rain Saturday evening, the National Weather Service said.