Community Corner

Southampton Declares Snow Emergency; Opens Warming and Emergency Operations Centers

Town Supervisor Anna Throne–Holst says she is concerned about keeping residents warm as temperatures start to plummet and power outages become frequent.

Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst has declared a snow emergency for the entire town of Southampton. She says she did so around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning just after Suffolk County declared a similar emergency.

In addition, Throne-Holst has opened the town’s Emergency Operations Center and a warming center at the Hampton Bays Senior Center.

“It’s a cautionary step,” Throne-Holst said.  “Roads are very bad right now and our biggest concern is the frigid temperatures that are on their way.”

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Power outages throughout the town right now also prompted Throne-Holst to make the declaration.

According to Lieutenant Robert Iberger, there are numerous outages from Quogue to Hampton Bays, across to North Sea and the village of Southampton.

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From the information that Iberger has gathered from the Long Island Power Authority, the outages are a result of heavy snow on the power lines, as well as some blown transformers and downed power lines.

On it’s website, LIPA reports that 17 customers are without power in Quogue; 62 in East Quogue; 100 in Hampton Bays; 10 near Shinnecock Hills; less than five in the village of Southampton; and 170 near Noyack Hills County Park.

Most of the outages, LIPA reports will be restored sometime Wednesday afternoon; however, as the snow begins to freeze on the power lines, Iberger expects that there will be additional outages.

“When the wind picks up later and it gets colder, our concern will be on the trees and wires and extensive problems with branches, trees and wires coming down,” Iberger said.

While LIPA works to remedy the current power outages, residents, who are without heat can go to the Hampton Bays Senior Center, he said. If transportation is needed, he said, residents can call town police for a ride to the senior center.

"Currently, there four residents taking advantage of the center,” Iberger said.

While snow has come to a halt in most places on Long Island, Iberger said there is still some snowfall around Southampton, mostly in Hampton Bays.  And while there is less snow drifting and better visibility than the Christmas 2010 blizzard, the continuous snowfall, he said is making it difficult to clear all of the roads, especially private ones.

“We are trying to open up the private roads so we can get to residents in an emergency,” said Iberger.  “We are asking residents to please still limit any travel on the roads so that county and town and highway crews can get the roads open and running and make them safe.”

Throne-Holst said the highway department’s job will prove even trickier this evening as temperatures are expected to drop to 23 degrees. “The freezing temperatures will make the plowing effort very difficult, ” she said.

While everyone continues to do their jobs, Throne-Holst said she is already thinking about the costs this storm will bring. 

“We are accounting for a huge expense,” she said. “And it’s only January.”

Throne-Holst says she hopes that by declaring a snow emergency that town will be able to garner funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help off-set some of the town’s expense.


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