For those who stayed, preparation is key

Waterfront homeowners on Shore Drive in Oakdale traded tips about boarding up houses and keeping boats afloat, but resisted leaving the South Shore community in advance of Hurricane Irene.

The scene was repeated 37 miles northwest in Bayville as residents debated whether to leave the flood-prone community near sea level on the North Shore. Both communities are under mandatory evacuation orders for the low-lying areas.

"Most of our concerns are less the wind and more the tide," said Kathy Remmer, 52, who with her husband, Richard, runs The Snapper Inn on the waterfront at the mouth of the Connetquot River. The river was already running high Saturday.

Forecasts predict the storm surge Sunday to be 5 to 8 feet along western Long Island Sound and 3 to 7 feet along the South Shore bays and eastern Long Island Sound. The storm surge comes on top of higher-than-normal tides from a new moon, exacerbating coastal flooding. High tide in both Patchogue and on the North Shore near Bayville is expected around 11 a.m.

At the Oakdale Yacht Club, boats were lifted from the water and placed on stands. "We've been working from 5 a.m. to midnight," said Courtney Crowley, 22, the service manager and daughter of owner Tom Crowley. "We pulled out 140 boats in 36 hours."

Farther along Shore Drive in Oakdale, 15-year residents Richie and Liz Sullivan weren't leaving their riverfront house. Their boat was secured and the grill and generators primed, Richie Sullivan said. Inside, his wife had moved the couple's valuable possessions upstairs to the second floor. "All our stuff is here, we're not leaving," said Richie Sullivan, 68, a retired racing car driver.

Across the road, Toni and John Sullivan, the owner of Delta Computer Group in Farmingdale, weighed evacuating. The couple have 4-month-old twins, Henry and Madison. While the water could get high, John Sullivan said, their house was higher than those owned by neighbors who weren't leaving.

In Bayville, plywood and tape went up on the glass windows of stores while cars overflowed parking lots at St. Gertrude's R.C. Church and the two schools on high ground in the center of the community.

Village Hall was opened at noon for officials to answer residents' questions about the evacuation order and address any problems. The hall would be staffed round the clock until the storm passes, Mayor Doug Watson said.

Rich Madden stopped in to look at the flood maps draped over a counter to make sure his property near Mill Neck Creek was safe. When he mentioned it was more than 20 feet above sea level, Watson told him not to worry.

"I feel better now, but I'm more worried about trees coming down than water," Madden said. "We have a kayak just in case."