Blizzard report: Roads plowed and power holding steady

Shelter Island Highway Department crews have been out all day and the main roads are plowed, said Highway Department Superintendent Jay Card Jr.

“We’ll be out putting down salt and sand and widening the roads a bit more,” Mr. Card said at 3 p.m.

But he cautioned that this in no way means people should venture out because the roads and severe weather continue to be treacherous.

“Where would you go, anyway?” Mr. Card said.

Police Chief Jim Read, who is the town’s emergency management coordinator, said that although a PSEG website map at 3 p.m. showed two outages on the Island affecting five people, it is is apparently a false report.

PSEG linemen have been out to the reported locations and discovered power is on but no one was home, the chief said.

Mr. Card and his crews are hoping there is a bit of melting on the snow drifts and then they refreeze, “giving it that crunchy top,” which then prevent the strong wind gusts to blow the drifts into the roads.

Flooding is a concern with wind-driven high tides, but Mr. Card said so far the Island has dodged a bullet.

There has been flooding reported by crews on West Neck Road as it passes West Neck Bay, an area prone to flooding in bad weather. Today it seems to be about the same as any other weather event, Mr. Card said, coming up about three feet onto West Neck road in spots.

The next high tide is due at a little past midnight tonight, and the crews will monitor the situation.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is calling for very cold weather tonight with wind chill values between 5 below zero and 5 degrees.

The NWS forecasts a total accumulation of snow today at 10 to 14 inches.

Mr. Card said the roads would be plowed again if necessary.

“Right now we’re not sure if we’ll have to hit it again,” he said.