Heavy rainfall closes 19 Nassau beaches
Views of Long Island Sound from Morgan Park in Glen Cove. Credit: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan
Storms that dumped 21/2 inches of rain on parts of Long Island early Saturday morning left thousands across the region without power and forced closure of 19 Nassau beaches, authorities said.
In Nassau, health officials ordered some municipal beaches closed Saturday, fearing stormwater runoff from the deluge could temporarily elevate bacteria levels in the water at some locations.
The closures affected mainly beaches on the Long Island Sound. Depending on rainfall overnight, the beaches could reopen Sunday morning, Nassau's Department of Health spokeswoman Mary Ellen Laurain said.
She described the closures, which did not affect ocean beaches, as a routine precaution based on past bacteria counts after heavy rains.
Most of the 4,500 LIPA customers who lost power Friday night and Saturday morning had it back by the afternoon.
Lightning and high winds that sent trees tumbling onto overhead utility wires were to blame for most of the outages, spokesman Mark Gross said.
The beach closures affect 14 North Shore beaches and five on the South Shore. They are: Centre Island Sound, Creek Club, Lattingtown Beach, Laurel Hollow Beach, Morgan Sound, North Hempstead Beach Park, Piping Rock Beach Club, Pryibil Beach, Charles E. Ransom Beach, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Beach, Sea Cliff Village Beach, Soundside Beach, Stehli Beach, Harry Tappen Beach, Biltmore Beach Club, Hewlett Point Beach, Island Park Beach, Merrick Estates Civic Association and Philip B. Healey Beach.
