By Angela Marshall
The village began plowing once the first three inches had fallen, and employees worked steadily to keep up with the downfall. This was a difficult storm because of the blizzard conditions. Just when a roadway was cleared, blowing snow would coat it again.
There were 20 plows and other types of equipment on the roads, and more than 30 workers out during the storm. The Department of Public Works spread about 30 tons of salt, an average amount for a two-day storm. Eight hundred tons have been stockpiled for the winter.
During a typical storm, the plows leave about a half inch of snow on the roadways, which is usually melted by salt. In this storm, because of the high winds and low temperatures, the salt had trouble working, according to Village Administrator Ron Wasson.
As the snow melts, the Department of Public Works asks
residents to clear areas around storm drains so that water will drain and not stand in the street.
No weather-related electric service outages were reported during the storm.
Members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department were called out to stand by at local firehouses at the height of the storm. At 6 p.m. Saturday evening, as the second storm was at its peak, Chief of Department Peter Stuyvesant requested all available members to report to their respective firehouses. "In the event of an alarm, we were fully manned and ready to roll," Stuyvesant said. Fortunately there were no incidents, and at 10 p.m., as the storm wound down, the firefighters were released.
To report hazardous conditions during a storm, call the DPW at (516) 678-9267.
