Blizzard Update: Wind Gusts Will Keep Travel Dicey and Roadworkers Busy

The snow has stopped falling but the work continues for everyone with a shovel — and are still laboring as of 11 a.m. to clear hundreds of miles of North Fork roadways Monday morning.

"It's going slow," said Southold Town's highway department deputy superintendent Curt Davis. "I'm sending the guys back out to make another round. They just came in for breakfast to get out of the trucks for a bit. The wind is what is making this storm really nasty. We'll put some salt-sand down and see what happens."

Since the start of the all 25 members of the highway department dealt with sustained winds of up to 40 mph — which the National Weather Service defines as tropical storm-level winds — and gusts up to 60 mph. Though the weather service estimates that about 10 inches of snow fell on the North Fork, which is much less than the 22 inches that blanketed the area during last year's winter storm, Davis said that the wind erased much of the headway his crew members made on the roads during the height of the storm in the early morning hours, creating constant snow drifts and blocking traffic.

"Compared to last year, 10 inches isn't bad — but it's the wind that will hurt us this year," he said.

Davis added that though people stayed off the roads for the most part during the height of the storm, roadworkers are still digging cars out of snow banks.

"Some just can't stay home like they're supposed to," he said.

reported two car accidents as the snow began to accumulate on Sunday. Police and fire departments responded to an overturned motor vehicle at the intersection of Route 48 and Westphalia Avenue in Mattituck at 12:50 p.m. Another accident resulting in multiple injuries was reported in Greenport with a car in the woods at the intersection of Route 48 and Queens Street.

Town roadworkers closed off the entrance toon the Long Island Sound due to severe erosion of the already narrow stretch of beach and its parking lot, and Soundview Avenue just west of Town Beach remains impassable due to storm damage.

"We had to close off the beach, because there is no beach left," Davis said. "The parking lot is torn up — we can't take the chance of anyone going in there."

Route 25 on the East Marion-Orient causeway is clear of any flooding, but roads in general remain slippery with ice beneath the snow and lots of drifts everywhere. Long Island Rail Road service both eastbound and westbound remains suspended until all tracks are clear, but Hampton Jitney service is running on schedule with the next bus to New York City leaving at 3 p.m.

Southold Police report that travel remains dangerous due to flooding in low-lying areas and high winds and expect to see down trees and power lines throughout the day on Monday.

The Long Island Power Authority reports about 9,300 power outages across Long Island, with locations in Riverhead, Jamesport, New Suffolk, Peconic, Southold, Shelter Island, Greenport, East Marion, and Orient affected. Call the LIPA hotline at 1-800-490-0075 to report a power outage or down powerline or tree.