Shelter Island Reporter editorial: Staying safe

Dodged a bullet! Or, Whew!

Either expression could be applied to Islanders’ reaction to the weekend blizzard that blew through the Island, a 24-hour storm that brought a foot-and-a-half of snow (at least), steady north winds of 24 mph and gusting to 49 mph, and whiteout conditions.

We applaud, again, as we have after many severe weather events, Town departments for being ready with action plans for any emergencies. Luckily — miraculously? — there were none.

As the Town did last August when a storm approached, the media was invited in for a Zoom session with all departments going over preparations for what has been dubbed “Winter Storm Kenan.”

Chief Read ran the meeting calmly, briskly and efficiently, with questions to each manager and notes on what was expected of them. He was in charge, but also asked for opinions and everyone weighed in with the best plans to keep Islanders safe.

There were latest updates and maps charting the storm’s progress, with estimations given of wind speeds, storm surges and high tides. Nothing was left unsaid.

As we said last summer, and will repeat here, inviting us in is a welcome development. We could evaluate the situation the Island faced with facts and figures from those on the ground and pass the information along for our readers via our digital and print editions.

This is an example of transparency that sometimes is lacking, not just on Shelter Island, but with other municipalities and government agencies. It is an acknowledgment that reliable information can be disseminated as an essential service to the public.

We applaud Chief Read for inviting us to the table so we could do our jobs better, and provide solid information to our readers when a crisis loomed.

Also, our thanks goes to Highway Department personnel — ably led by Superintendent Brian Sherman — who worked for nearly 24 hours straight clearing roads to keep Islanders safe.

We also want to single out the leaders of the first responders on the Island — Chief Read of the Police Department, Chief Anthony Reiter of the Fire Department and Director/Chief of Operations Jack Thilberg of Emergency Medical Services. They all deserve our gratitude for their expertise, dedication and hard work.