Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen was joined by emergency officials, snow plowing crews and members of the Town Board at the Town of Hempstead Highway Department Yard in Roosevelt to give an update on ongoing preparations in America’s largest township for the impending nor’easter.
“The town is taking this threat seriously. We are hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst, especially in light of the still lingering effects of last week’s storm” said Gillen. “The Town of Hempstead has over 30,000 tons of salt on hand and is ready to commence operations before snow begins to fall. We are watching the weather and will begin salting when the time is right.”
The town is still recovering from the lingering effects of last week’s nor’easter and, is taking every precaution in advance of the powerful weather system that is currently expected to deliver 6 to 12 inches of snow.
The Town of Hempstead Highway Department, primarily responsible for the salting and removal of snow from the 1,200 miles of town roadways and municipal parking fields in unincorporated areas of the town, is fueling up approximately 250 pieces, attaching plows to their apparatus, and cleaning out catch basins.
Gillen also asked drivers to be vigilant on their morning commute. and limit travel to what is necessary.
“We are anticipating slippery roadways and we do expect power outages,” Gillen said.
Councilmembers Bruce Blakeman, Erin King Sweeney and Dennis Dunne Sr. joined the supervisor. They urged residents to keep the streets clear, to avoid blowing or shoveling snow onto the streets, watch out for downed wires, check on elderly neighbors, and use common sense during the storm.
King Sweeney added a light touch, reminding residents to buy the necessary vegetables to make snowmen’s faces.
“We are urging residents to please call the towns ‘helpline’ at 516-489-6000 to report any issues, especially if you notice loose branches or weakened trees,” said Supervisor Gillen, who noted that the last nor’easter significantly damaged many trees and branches in the town. “The wet, heavy snow that is being predicted is a recipe for downed wires and trees.”
Town crews have already responded to over 170 reports of fallen trees and large branches on local sidewalks and roadways.
“We are testing all of our tree removal equipment, including dozens of chainsaws,” said Gillen. “We will continue to monitor and track the path of the nor’easter and provide updates to residents.”
Residents can call PSEG at 800-490-8875 to report power outages. The town works with the utility companies to restore power as quickly as possible during emergencies.
Residents can also actively check for updates through the Town of Hempstead website: TOH.LI, as well as through Twitter @HempsteadTown and facebook.com/HempsteadTown.
