Snow drifts up to 3 feet high in Suffolk

In Nissequogue, Village Mayor Richard Smith said the storm started to "turn really, really bad" between 3 and 5 a.m.
As of 9 a.m., nearly all roads — including two of the village’s major roadways, Moriches and Long Beach roads — remain open with plow trucks from the Town of Smithtown working in the early morning hours to clear roadways. However, River Road is closed due to the snow drifting off the Nissequogue River, Smith said. In some areas, snow drifts have reached as high as 3 feet, according to Smith. So far, no flooding issues have been reported in the village.

However, Smith said, “I would strongly encourage everyone to stay home, obviously with the travel ban being extended. This is a good day to put the coffeepot on, do some light reading, spend time with family and catch up on the news.”

The village’s fire department at 7:30 a.m. also responded to an emergency call at a home near River Road, where an unidentified woman was reported to be “in great distress,” according to Smith. Despite the weather, emergency crews arrived in time to get the patient evaluated and then transported to a hospital. Smith commended village volunteer crews, some of whom slept at the fire department overnight, for their quick response and efforts.

“Preparation and communication is everything. The critical thing is to keep everyone safe,” Smith said. “This snow will disappear but we have to make sure if there’s an emergency call that we can respond, and critical to that is keeping the roads open, and we are working closely with the Town of Smithtown, and they’ve been doing a good job keeping the roads open.”