Nor’easter backing off, but still lingering on Shelter Island

The nor’easter that chose to move in with Shelter Island for a long weekend seems to be heading for the door.Sustained winds were less strong, and gusts were less blustery Sunday, but rain continued off and on through the day and into the wee hours. More coastal flooding is in store this afternoon, when the next high tide comes ashore.

As of 4 a.m. Monday, PSEG reported 17 customers without power, down from 94 residents without power late Sunday afternoon. As Highway Superintendent Ken Lewis Jr. told the Reporter, the only good news about the power outages was the weather stayed relatively warm, so it was never bitterly cold in unheated homes.

Coastal flooding was reported throughout the storm, particularly along West Neck Road and the Ram Island Causeway, both known flood-prone locations during severe coastal storms and periods of high tide. Some sections became temporarily impassable as water levels rose, requiring roadway closures in affected areas.

According to Police Det. Sgt. Jack Thilberg, who is also the director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), all Island first responders, including Fire Department volunteers, have answered the call for numerous storm-related incidents since Friday evening. Emergency personnel handled 39 hazardous condition incidents, primarily involving fallen trees, downed power lines, wires on fire, and blocked roadways, according to Det. Sgt. Thilberg. Responders also addressed one brush fire caused by downed electrical wires; six marine-related incidents; six fire and burglar alarm calls; and two criminal investigations. 

In one incident, the Police Department and Shelter Island Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire at a private residence. The homeowner had successfully extinguished the fire prior to responders’ arrival, preventing further damage.

Early Sunday morning, at about 12:30 a.m., Police and EMS personnel responded to an medical emergecny requiring transport to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Det. Sgt. Thilberg reported. “Despite adverse weather, high winds, and rough sea conditions, North Ferry personnel successfully navigated the storm and safely transported the patient across the bay for medical treatment,” he added.  

North and South ferries continued operations on their regularly scheduled routes, with reduced service during late-night hours due to decreased travel volume.

PSEG crews, who had arrived on the Island on Friday and stayed through the duration were at work all weekend restoring power from downed lines, as Highway Department crews cleared roadways of trees and branches.

At 4 a.m. Monday, PSEG reported that across Long Island, since 7 a.m. Friday, the heavy rain and strong winds, including gusts of more than 70 mph, downed more than 1,150 trees, nearly 700 large branches, and wires and poles, causing more than 119,000 outages.

The worst may be over, but it will still be a breezy, soggy Monday for Islanders as a massive clean-up begins. The National Weather Service (NWS) is calling for rain today, mainly before 5 p.m. The winds will continue out of the northeast at 11 mph, gusting as high as 22 mph with the high temperature at 66 degrees. Tonight, the NWS is forecasting a 30% chance of rain before 8 p.m. The winds out of the northeast will drop to 6 to 9 mph and the low temperature will be about 57 degrees.