An unexpected storm hit Long Island on Sunday, causing
severe damage to areas within the township of Smithtown. Destructive straight
line winds up to 60 mph caused downed power lines, uprooted, fallen and large
tree limbs caused multiple power outages in the area. The town of Smithtown was
one of the three towns in Suffolk County to be hit the hardest.
All Emergency response units are still working to clean up
and address the needs of the community. Residents who are still without power,
spoiled food and tree debris have a number of resources available to them to
ensure quality of life is restored before the holiday weekend.
“It was a fun day with the whole family, that quickly became
frightening. I ran up to Main Street, Kings Park after the storm passed to
survey trees on top of cars, power outages and to assess the damage. I was very
pleased to see Public Safety & the Highway Department were on scene shortly
after... Residents without power, spoiled food to dispose of, or storm debris
in need removal, are reminded to contact the appropriate departments so we can
help get your home ready for the July 4th weekend. Please know we are working
around the clock to cleanup in this unexpected event and we will not rest until
your standard of living has been reinstated.” - Supervisor Ed Wehrheim
Municipal Services Facility (MSF) will be open to residents
who wish to dispose of spoiled food from the power outages, during regular
business hours. Private garbage carters do not pick up waste on holidays, which
includes Thursday July 4th. Residents with a larger than normal amount of
garbage may wish to drop off solid waste to MSF which is located at 85 Old
Northport Road in Kings Park. Hours are from 7:00 am to 11:45 am and
12:45 pm to 3:15 pm five days a week. No hazardous waste.
Tree & debris removal operations have been underway
since the storm passed Sunday afternoon. While the Highway fleet continues
efforts to remove all “Right of Way” town tree debris, Residents should be
mindful to place branches, cut to no longer than 6 feet in length, neatly piled
at the roadside. Smaller branches should be tied and bundled.
“If you still have trees waiting to be picked up, please
call the highway department with the address of the removal. I would just ask
that residents have patience as we get through the cleanup, after this
unexpected storm. Our team is dealing with lots of landscapers dumping debris
on the street, not adhering to the town code. This causes delays in our
operations as we need to stop to cut large stumps and trees. However, We won’t
stop until we’ve gotten to every call.” - Robert Murphy, Superintendent
of Highways
The Smithtown Highway Department addressed approximately
250-300 fallen or uprooted trees reported to the Department. That number is
expected to increase as cleanup is still underway.
Storm Damage Totals:
According to PSEG Long Island, over 17,000 residents in the
Commack and Hauppauge areas experienced power outages. The majority of those
customers now have power. On Tuesday, July 2nd, there were approximately 1,800
PSEG customers in the Town of Smithtown affected by outages, primarily in
Commack. As of this morning (July 3rd, 2019) that number has been reduced to 80
customers affected. PSEG estimates that power will be restored to every
customer in Smithtown by 7PM this evening.
Last night, PSEG briefly shut down power in the Pickwick
Drive area (between Veterans Memorial Highway & Jericho Turnpike) and along
Harned Road & Wyandanch Boulevard, in order to cut down damaged trees
leaning on power lines.
Power Outages - PSEG Information: View PSEG Long Island’s outage map Click Here
To report and receive status updates on an outage Text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or to report an outage online visit www.psegliny.com
To register, have your account number available and text REG
to PSEGLI (773454)
Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not
approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything contacting the
wire. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service
number: 1-800-490-0075
Tree Debris, Flooding or Road Concerns: To report tree debris for pickup, flooding and other storm related conditions along the roads, please contact the Highway Department at (631) 360-7500
Stranded Vehicles: If there is an emergency, please dial 9-11 immediately. All non life-threatening calls can be directed to the Department of Public Safety by calling (631) 360-7553
Suffolk 311: Suffolk County 311 is a central call center available to residents who do not know which number to call for any non-emergency. Residents can reach the 311 line Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or leave messages after hours.
Animals & Family Pets: Outdoor animals should be sheltered indoors for the duration of any storm. To report animals in distress, strays or other loose domestic or wild animals please call (631) 360-7575
Elderly Neighbors & Special Needs individuals: Always check on your neighbors living with disabilities, special needs or senior citizens. Make sure they have an emergency phone, plenty of water, food and blankets. Ask if they have someone to call in the event of an emergency.