Tuesday, 12:00 PM UPDATE
The most up-to-date reports available claim that 17 people have died along the East Coast as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Millions of people are without power, and President Obama declared New York and New Jersey as federal disaster areas.
Two Long Islanders, John Miller, 39, of Lloyd Harbor, and Safar Shafinoori, 84, of Roslyn, were killed by falling trees. A man was also killed in Flushing, Queens by a falling tree.
Severe flooding and fires were reported within the Town of Babylon, which is said to be among the worst hit areas on the island. 85 percent of Babylon is without power and flood waters are being measured by the feet along roads south of the Montauk Highway.
There have been reports that the storm surges, which combined the effect of high tides with the hybrid Sandy, are some of the highest ever recorded. Surges reached a record height of 13.88 feet at Manhattan’s Battery Park.
Initial estimates for damage caused by Sandy were expected to exceed the roughly $4.5 billion in insured losses during Tropical Storm Irene. Experts are now estimating anywhere from $5 to $10 billion in insured losses associated with Sandy, and an additional $10 to $20 billion in economic losses, making Sandy the fifth worst hurricane in history.
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said that the New york Subway System had never experienced such a devastating storm in its 108 year history. The MTA network experienced damages in every borough and county in which it operates, according to Lhota, who warned there would be a significant recovery period before the system was operating.
There was flooding in the East River tunnel of the Long Island Rail Road, which will impact Long Islanders who commute to Manhattan. Metro-north lines lost power on both the Hudson and New Haven lines. Six bus garages were flooded. The MTA will remain closed through Tuesday.
U.S. stock trading is closed again on Tuesday, being the first time since 1888 that the market was closed on back-to-back days due to inclement weather.
JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports are all closed until further notice.
Police are urging people to remain off the roads as debris continues to be cleared.
Tuesday 9:00 AM UPDATE
Reports estimate that nearly one million, or 81.5 percent of LIPA customers are currently without power on Tuesday morning. LIPA estimates that the recovery period will take the seven to ten days they initially reported. LIPA officials announced plans to hire 3,000 outside contractors to aid in the recovery process, that will focus on transformer lines. Damage is expected to continue to occur over the next several hours.
National Grid gas lines were temporarily shut down in a small area of Bayville that has serious flooding and an area of Jones Beach due to water erosion.
Two deaths were reported, both a result of falling trees. Fallen trees are primarily to blame for the widespread outages, but there is a significant amount of fire and wind damage as well. LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey warns Long Islanders to treat all downed wires as live.
Two deaths were reported, both a result of falling trees.
An extensive search through Fire island for the few year round residents who remained in their home is being commenced as soon as it is safe, and will involved both the use of land vehicles and black hawk helicopters. There have been reports of entire homes washing away in the storm waters.
Monday 3:00 PM UPDATE
Storm surges have already exceeded what was experienced during Tropical Storm Irene, though Hurricane Sandy has yet to reach its peak. Reports of fallen trees and power outages are coming from across Long Island.
The Brooklyn and Holland Tunnels were closed at 2:00 p.m.
Nassau Police rescued an 82-year-old woman who was trapped in her Massapequa home this afternoon. She was brought to a friends house, and was not treated for any injuries. Her Massapequa neighborhood was completely flooded, and she was finally reached with the use of an army humvee.
Many roads across Nassau and Suffolk Counties have been closed. These roads include: Dune Road in Southampton, Meadowbrook State Parkway south of Merrick Road, the Wantagh State Parkway south of Merrick Road, the Loop Parkway, Robert Moses Causeway south of Montauk Highway, Route 135 south of Sunrise Highway, Shore Road in Mill Neck south of the bridge, Bayville Bridge in Mill Neck, FDR Drive, Long Beach Bridge, and Atlantic Beach Bridge, which is open to northbound traffic only.
UPDATE 12:00 PM:
Hurricane Sandy is still hundreds of miles away from Long Island, but the huge storm is already making a mark. Reports of flooded streets along the south shore in both Nassau and Suffolk County have been made, and conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day. Winds reaching 57 miles per hour were reported at JFK International Airports.
19,000 power outages have been reported by LIPA as of 11:00 a.m. Monday.
Gov. Cuomo announced that the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and Holland Tunnel will both be closed at 2:00 p.m. in advance of expected flooding caused by high tides Monday evening when Hurricane Sandy is expected to pack the strongest punch against Long Island. The Lincoln Tunnel will remain open.
The storm is expected to make landfall in New Jersey later today. The most dangerous storm elements will appear later today and into Tuesday morning.
UPDATE 9:00 AM:
On Long Island, schools have been shut down, evacuations have been carried out in threatened, coastal areas. In Nassau County, mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents living south of the Sunrise Highway from the Queens border to Rockville Center, as well as residents south of Merrick road and east to the county border. Long Beach has also been evacuated.
In Suffolk County a combination of voluntary and mandatory evacuations were ordered for portions of the Towns of Islip and Babylon. Fire Island was evacuated earlier and LIPA has already cut off electrical power to the island.
The New York Stock Exchange has been closed down for the first time since Hurricane Gloria barrelled along the East Coast in 1985. Trading will continue electronically.
The MTA and NICE bus lines were shut down at 7:00 p.m. last night.
Heavy rains have settled in over the island, with winds speeds between 40 and 50 mph. Rain and winds are expected to pick up strength, especially later this afternoon.
Prepare for the Storm
As Hurricane Sandy approaches the Northeast, Long Island has been preparing for the worst. Some areas of the Island, including Fire Island, and parts of the South Shore are evacuating, although many locals are staying on the Island as of now. We’ve put together the resources you’ll need to keep you, your family and pets safe during this hurricane, which has been declared a state of emergency. We will be updating this resource actively to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening on Long Island, bringing you the information that you need to know.
Important Resources & Updates
- Shelters in Nassau & Suffolk County - As of Sunday afternoon (3PM), there are shelters available in Nassau & Suffolk counties.
- National Weather Service Updates- Check the National Weather Service for the most up-to-date information on Hurricane Sandy.
- Long Island School Closings - As of Sunday afternoon (3PM), many of the K-12 Schools & Colleges on Long Island are closed.
- LIPA’s “Storm Center” with Power Outage Updates
- Updates from Long Island Red Cross - The Red Cross will be updating their site regularly with Alerts for Long Island
What to Keep on Hand:
- Bottled Water - Be sure to have a gallon of water per day per person, with enough water to last at least 3 days.
- A Battery Powered Radio & Back Up Batteries - Be sure to keep a battery powered radio on hand, should there be a power outage, or loss of internet connection
- Ice - Keep ice on hand for storing food in case of power loss
- Candles & Matches- Be sure to keep candles on hand should there be a loss of power.
- Non-perishable food- Have non-perishable food, including peanut butter and other high-protein foods available, should there be a power outage.
- First Aid Kit - Be sure to have first aid kit basics, as well as any prescription medication on hand for the storm.
- Pet Food & Supplies - Make sure to keep food on hand for your pets, as well as any supplies & medication they require.
Have an update? Email us at news@longisland.com.
