Blizzard Has Sandy-Battered Long Beachers Concerned

As a winter blizzard forecasted to deliver eight to 16 inches of snow starts to blanket Long Island on Friday, residents in Hurricane Sandy-battered Long Beach are worried about power outages, flooding and other problems that the city continues to recover from after the superstorm in October.

“Praying if power goes out they fix it quickly,” wrote Suzanne Fey Lastorino, a West Walnut Street resident, in answer to a question about the pending storm posted on Long Beach Patch’s Facebook page. “No power = no heat. Anything else we can deal with.”

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The City of Long Beach declared a snow emergency that started 6 a.m. Friday in anticipation of the Nor'easter snow storm that is expected to deliver 55-mph wind gusts and coastal flooding. The hurricane three months ago wiped out Long Beach’s protective dunes and destroyed its boardwalk, both of which still need to be replaced.   

“It’s the high tide and coastal flooding that scares me the most,” said Cindy Feinman Siegel, whose street, Shore Road, abuts the barrier island beach.
Resident Kim Schornstein Blair is focused on flooding from Reynolds Channel, where baywaters flooded the island from the north and met the ocean in the middle of the city during Sandy. “Just praying the bay doesn't come over the bulkhead,” she wrote.

In anticipation of the Nor'easter, motorists formed lines at gas stations across Long Island, including Long Beach, Thursday night and Friday morning, evoking one of the most enduring and distressing images in the aftermath of Sandy. 

Larry Schlossberg, an East Fulton Street resident, suggested that he had already filled up his vehicle and backup power source. “Gas up cars and generator,” he wrote. “Not trusting LIPA again.”

But Maggie Pawlowski expressed confusion about the rush of motorists to gas stations. She has plans to stay home during what she expects will be a routine February storm.  

“We won't be able to go anywhere,” wrote Pawlowski, who lives in the Canals neighborhood. “High winds, high surf, new moon- we all still have Sandy on our minds. Snow? … It's going to snow & it's the weekend - what better excuse to just lounge in front of the TV all weekend?”

Meanwhile, the City of Long Beach has designated the following as Snow Emergency Routes:

• West Beech Street from Nevada Avenue to Grand Boulevard

• West Park Avenue from Nevada Avenue to New York Avenue West Side of Maryland Avenue from Park Avenue to Beech Street

• West Side of J.J. Evans Boulevard from Park Avenue to Pine Street Shore Road from Long Beach Boulevard to Maple Boulevard

• East Pine Street from Neptune Boulevard to Curley Street

• Parking on the Pine Street Canal Bridges is strictly prohibited. Alternate Side of the Street Parking is In Effect in order to clear snow more efficiently.