Politics & Government

Huntington Prepares For Hurricane Earl

Meteorologists predict effects from the storm will hit Long Island this coming weekend.

With Hurricane Earl threatening to soak Long Island this weekend, Suffolk County and Town of Huntington officials are asking residents to prepare in advance for the weather and potentially deal with its aftermath.

"We are tracking the hurricane's progress, as we do with all hurricanes that have the potential to affect Long Island," Supervisor Frank Petrone said. "As part of our regular procedures to ensure that the town and all our residents are properly prepared for the storm and its potential effects, I have set up briefings for Town department heads to help with storm preparations."

Town Spokesman A.J. Carter said that in the event of a hurricane, the Town of Huntington will coordinate with Suffolk County's Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Department, which in turn will be working with the American Red Cross to determine if shelters will be open.

"A hurricane is like any other hazard, we have we have something called a five-day window plan which started today [Monday]," said Joseph Williams, Suffolk County Commissioner of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES). "What happens is we start picking out our shelters through the American Red Cross, we make sure all of our supplies are up and running and we keep on watching the storm to decide what we are going to do."

Williams added that the county has more than 120 shelters that are pre-identified and that his office is working in conjunction with the American Red Cross to decide which ones should be opened and where to move their resources.

"We know, for a fact, we are going to get a strong tropical storm Thursday night into Friday," Williams said. "We are activating all of our teams. Everybody is going to be on high alert and we are going see what happens, then we will decide if we are going to act or not."

Suffolk County Legis. Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, said that while residents should always be prepared that the county has a great team working to keep them safe.

"Suffolk residents should always be personally prepared for emergencies that can arise, but they can be assured that our Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Department is one of the best in the nation," Cooper said. "FRES Commissioner Joe Williams works tirelessly year round in conjunction with all other municipalities to coordinate our hurricane response efforts in order to ensure the safest, healthiest outcome for Suffolk residents. If a hurricane threat becomes a reality, Suffolk County is ready. However, our residents need to be ready, too."

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Suffolk Legislator Lou D'Amaro, D-Huntington Station, said power outages remain atop his list of concerns. He said that although the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) takes every precaution to avoid power outages, the fact remains that wind, rain and extreme weather conditions can cause damage to power lines and affect service. In an effort to minimize the impact of service disruptions on the most at-risk residents, LIPA has created a "Critical Care Program" that identifies customers who rely on life-support equipment. D'Amaro is urging local residents to sign up for this potentially life-saving program by calling 1-800-490-0025 or visiting lipower.org.

"Through LIPA's Critical Care Program, our most vulnerable residents can be confident that they are prepared to weather any storm, even if service disruptions occur," D'Amaro said. "I am pleased to help LIPA spread the word so that any and all eligible residents can enroll."

The Town of Huntington, Carter said, also has an Emergency Operations Center with state-of-the-art communications linkage and, if needed, the center will be open as it was during last winter's major snowstorms. Carter said if opened it will be staffed with town personnel to coordinate emergency responses by the town, villages and fire departments.

"We're ready to follow whatever the town directs us to do," said Village of Huntington Bay Mayor Herb Morrow. "I'm sure I'll be speaking with the supervisor in the next day or so."

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Morrow said that with any storms – hurricanes or even a bad winter storm – the village police chief has extra officers that he can put on duty. He added that contractors are on alert in case a tree falls down.

"With our roads being so narrow," Morrow said, "we need to make sure they stay clear, especially if ambulances need to get through. ... The problem is that the trees are at the height of their weight right now. They are full of leaves and very heavy."

Morrow said he lived in Huntington Bay during the last big hurricane to hit the area: Hurricane Gloria in the fall of 1985.

"We had flooding, but that wasn't much of a problem, since most of our homes are up and away from the water," Morrow explained. "But we had significant tree damage in our area. We went without power for four to five days. LIPA has done a lot of tree trimming since then, so we'll have to see if that helped."

Williams added that no decision will be made until Wednesday but that potentially evacuating Fire Island will be atop the list of concerns.

"The biggest decision that we are going to make is if we are going to evacuate Fire Island," Williams said. "It's a barrier beach and that decision is going to have to be made on Wednesday as the storm gets closer. ... If we decide to do that, it would be a voluntary evacuation, not a mandatory one."

But Williams said all Suffolk County residents should wait to hear from local authorities before any sort of evacuation would occur.

"We are ready for the storm to come now but we need to find out what we are dealing with – a hurricane or a tropical storm – before we can move resources," he said. "We will be as ready as we can as soon as we can and will act accordingly."

To find a copy of the Town of Huntington's Hurricane Preparedness Handbook, which is updated annually and lists important phone numbers, helpful websites and local emergency agencies, visit the town's website. Karen Forman contributed to this story.


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