Update: Power Outages Reported; Schools Cut Activities

Update: 10:40pm
The National Weather Service said wind chill values could make temperatures feel as if they’re  between -5 and -15 on Saturday.
Power outages were reported around the area Friday as winds swept the area overnight,  from Lloyd Harbor and Eaton’s Neck south to Melville and from Cold Spring Harbor east to Fort Salonga.
Because of the anticipated freeze later Friday afternoon, the Huntington school district canceled all afterschool activities except for SCOPE & YMCA aftercare. South Huntington also canceled, citing the chance for freezing temperatures to affect the roads.
Most outages reported by PSEG-LI involved small numbers of customers but there was little information on when the power was expected to be restored.
Small tree branches littered many streets Friday morning.
_________________________________________
Earlier
Heavy rain, gusting winds and bitter cold are in the forecast starting Thursday night.
Wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour are possible, the National Weather Service said, with weather experts warning residents to bring in decorations or anything that might blow around. A wind advisory is in effect from 10 p.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday.
Flooding is also a concern along the shoreline, with up to 2 feet of inundation above ground level in low lying, vulnerable areas.
Highway superintendent Andre Sorrentino said his department has tree crews ready to go out should the winds damage and that salt spreaders and crews are prepared in case the extreme cold turns fallen rain into icy pavement.
Friday night, the National Weather Service said, temperatures could fall to about 12 degrees, with wind chill values between  -5 and 5 degrees.
PSEG-LI said it was “prepared for potential gusty winds and heavy rain expected throughout its service territory Thursday evening, Dec. 22, into Saturday, Dec. 24. The conditions may cause tree limbs to break, which can pull down wires, causing outages.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority banned, as of 8 p.m. Thursday, all empty tractor-trailers and tandem trailers from bridges and tunnels, because of the wind.

The Suffolk County SPCA reminded residents to remember to bring pets inside.

Always keep ID tags on pets, the organization said, because animals can get lost during a winter storm. More pets are lost in the winter than any other time of the year. Pets can lose their ability to scent their way home in snow and icy conditions.

Leave a Reply