By:KEITH GRANT
Stores flooded, streets clear as forecasts prove all wet
It was the storm that wasn't.
Despite predictions of doom, the barrier island skated through what amounted to the most over-hyped weather event in years. While neighbors to the north, east and west were hit by several inches to a foot or more of snow, Long Beach roads remained clear, power lines held, and the highly feared flooding and beach erosion was never realized. The "storm" seemed to do nothing more than give some local shops a big payday and kids a four-day weekend. In the end, people were left saying 'don't believe the hype.'
The common sentiment was, as one resident noted, "What a bust! Everybody panicked, and we got nothing."
Local schools closed Monday and Tuesday out of fear of a major storm that never came. City officials, meanwhile, had worried that the nor'easter could bring serious erosion to local beaches and were thankful that it, too, did not materialize.
"We lucked out on both fronts, the snow and the flooding," City Manager Bruce Nyman said. "Everybody else seems to have been hit. We were an oasis."
Nyman said the beach went unaffected by the storm, and salt trucks helped keep traffic moving freely through town.
"We put salt down on the streets, and you saw [Tuesday] there was no accumulation," he said, adding "there was more salt on the street than in the Dead Sea."
After two days of predictions and waiting, snow finally began to fall on Long Beach around 6 p.m. Sunday. However, come time for the Monday morning commute, local streets were still clear while radio reports told of surrounding counties getting pounded by snow. Locally, forecasters became nothing more than a merchant's best friend as the only flooding took place in the supermarket aisles.
Rob Koff, co-owner of the West End's C-Town with brother Barry, said the scene at his store over the weekend was a wild one.
"They were nuts," Koff said of the shoppers. "People bought ridiculous amounts of bread and milk that they couldn't consume in two weeks. They put no thought into it. It was crazy. We did four or five days' business in two days."
Despite the controlled chaos, Koff said the shoppers were nice and people tolerated the long lines. In the East End, Associated faced a similar rush.
"The weekend was a madhouse," said store manager Andy Fackler. "It was like Armageddon. We couldn't keep up with it."
Fackler said that by the time the rush was over, the store was virtually wiped clean of meats, bread, soda, milk, chips, batteries, and most Entenmann's cakes.
"The lines were going up the aisles. It was crazy," Fackler said. "We're just trying to get back to normal. It felt like the place got trashed."
Of the memorable weekend rush, Fackler added, "It's something you want to see, and don't want to see. We did great business, but it was tough to keep up. I haven't seen something like that in a long time."
Most stores were still waiting for some of their products to be delivered from the more severely hit areas of New Jersey and Suffolk, but, for the most part, order had been restored by Tuesday night. At Waldbaum's, store manager Red Walker said he expected everything back in full supply by mid-week.
In the meantime, city officials were thankful it was bread rather than the beach that was wiped out. Asked about concerns over erosion had the storm lived up to its billing, Nyman said the city's fears were "very, very, very, very real. Just ask Point Lookout. They've basically lost their beaches."
Beach erosion in such a storm, Nyman said, "is always a concern. The scariest word for us is 'northeaster.' It's almost more scary than a hurricane."
"We've been so fortunate," he added, "not to have lost a chunk of our beach over the years."
Youths offer snow help
With reports of more snow on the way, people should be aware that the City of Long Beach Youth and Family Services maintains a list of young people who can be called to remove snow from private property if you are elderly or otherwise unable to do so. There is a charge for this service, determined by the youth and based on the size of the property.
The city does not employ the youths, and any agreement entered into is between the homeowner and the person hired. The list of snow shovelers is maintained as a courtesy only. If you would like to get in touch with someone in your neighborhood, you may call 431-1000 ext. 289, or 431-8880.
