The Nassau and Suffolk county executives joined together to provide emergency preparation tips for Long Islanders ahead of hurricane season and the incoming Hurricane Erin.
“I want to just remind people that if you live along the shore or a low-lying area, please make sure that you have water, have a plan to leave, have a place to go,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “Keep non-perishable food and manual can openers available in case there is a power outage, make sure you have flashlights and batteries. Stay in touch by monitoring the internet, the radio and your television.”
The Thursday, Aug. 21, press conference took place on a windy and chilly day at the Farmingdale Fire Department as Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane and fifth-named storm during the 2025 season, headed north along the east coast of the U.S.
Hurricane Erin was previously recorded as a Category 5 storm, but as of Thursday morning remained a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Blakeman said he and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine had spoken in early August about holding a joint press conference to discuss hurricane preparedness, and that Thursday’s conference coincidentally lined up with Erin being offshore.
Both Blakeman and Romaine said that as of Thursday morning, they did not anticipate making evacuation orders in response to Erin and that many beaches on Long Island were closed due to the storm. Waves are expected to reach 10 to 15 feet on some parts of the island.
The Town of Hempstead shut down its waters on Wednesday for the remainder of the week, and Tobay Beach, the only south shore beach in the Town of Oyster Bay, is also closed.
Blakeman announced that water at Nickerson Beach was close to reaching the parking lot on Thursday morning.
Nassau and Suffolk counties have a shared partnership with their police and fire departments, allowing the counties to work together during emergencies.
“We share assets, we share information and we look at this as regional issues,” Blakeman said. “We are an island that shoots out through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s a lot of territory that we’ responsible for.”
Both counties had emergency services tables at the firehouse with information on who to contact in case of an emergency.
Romaine also called out one of the largest electricity providers in the region, saying that he would like LIPA to make improvements to its infrastructure.
“I have a very clear message for LIPA, which is they should start putting money in, each and every year, to bury their lines,” he said.
According to the most recent update issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this month, atmospheric and oceanic conditions remain in place for an above-normal hurricane season, which could rank among the busiest on record.
September is considered to be the peak of hurricane season, which lasts until the end of November.
Superstorm Sandy rocked the south shore of Long Island late into the season in 2012, as the storm affected the area at the end of October.
