Town Hosts Hurricane Seminar

Thunderstorms have a brief twenty minute life cycle. On Thursday, those twenty minutes seemed rather extensive as Long Island was hit with torrential rain, seventy mile per hour winds and even hail.

But the downed wires and fallen trees we experienced this week would be considered a small part of the damage that would be inflicted if a hurricane ever hit the island.

Because of the potential devastation, the Town of Oyster Bay Department of Public Safety held a hurricane awareness event in Massapequa  this week to teach residents how to handle an emergency situation. Representatives from all the agencies in attendance were unanimous about one recommendation: always prepare ahead of time.  

Public safety commissioner Justin McCaffrey opened the meeting by discussing the town's SWIFT911 notification program, which he said is  “capable of delivering recorded warnings to the entire community, via telephone, email, text or pager.”

Residents are urged to sign up for the program by contacting the  public safety department or signing up through the town's website.

Gary Conte, a meteorologist  with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was also on hand to give basic facts about hurricanes.

He said Long Island can expect to be impacted by a tropical storm every five years and a hurricane every seventeen years. Hurricane season begins June 1st and ends November 30th.

Conte said residents tend to worry about storms when they make landfall but don't worry about the effect they can have on beaches when they are far away from the coast.

“Make sure you go into the water when a lifeguard is on duty,”  he said.  One of the dangers of rough surf can be rip currents. Anyone caught in one  should swim parallel to the current or stand still, he said, explaining that the current that pulled you out will eventually bring you back to shore.  

Conte then moved on to discussing storms that do make landfall, by explaining the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning.

When a hurricane watch is in effect, hurricane conditions may threaten the area within 24 to 36 hours, he said.

A hurricane warning, on the other hand, means that a storm with sustained seventy-four mile per hour winds or greater is expected in an area within one day or less.  

“A watch means get ready and a warning means go,” he said.  

Although about a third of SWIFT calls will be ignored, Conte emphasized that watches and warnings should not be taken lightly. He urged citizens to check the websites of the National Hurricane Center or the National Weather Service for storm updates.

Rob Schneider of the Red Cross advised taking a proactive approach to emergency preparedness. He outlined three basic steps: Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.  

Schneider  recommends  preparing a supply kit. It should include plenty of water, a gallon per person daily if you expect to be evacuated from your home. If you’re planning on bringing food, you will need a manual can opener. It is crucial to have a first aid kit and a bag of medications. He said the bag  should be created ahead of time, so you'll have a fully stocked bag without fear of forgetting something. Having batteries and cash are also important. If there’s a storm, the ATMs might not be working and your credit card will serve no purpose.  

The next step is to make a plan in the event you're separated from your loved ones. The plan should include a meeting place. Schneider suggests designating an individual outside the affected area that family members can contact and check in with during a hurricane. All members of your family should be in contact with the designated individual.  

The third step is to be informed. Tune into local TV and radio news stations   for weather updates. 

Although evacuation routes and locations are still in the works, Nassau Community College and SUNY Farmingdale are possible evacuation locations.  

If you wish to have additional preparedness information, the Nassau and Suffolk Red Cross have set up a website.