East Rockaway, Lynbrook mid-blizzard:8-10 inches,winds 25-35 mph with more snow on the way

East Rockaway DPW truck

Mary Malloy/Herald

Utilities trucks and snow plows are out at the height of the storm.

Mary Malloy/Herald

Main Street in East Rockaway was deserted at 10 a.m. as the snow blew.

Mary Malloy/Herald

Cars were sliding in the blizzard.

Mary Malloy/Herald

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Snow plows were sporadic in the villages at the height of the storm, waiting for the high winds and some accumulation before they are out in full force.

Officials are advising residents to stay inside during the storm,but when they do shovel, don't dump it into the street, they say, as this could impede the work of snow plows.

PSEG Long Island is reporting that, as of 9:30 a.m., 1,065 of its 1.1 million customers across Long Island and the Rockaways are currently without power. This story will be updated throughout the day.

UPDATE: As of 9:49 a.m.:

In Valley Stream, 18 households have lost power and should be restored by 6:30 p.m.

In Lynbrook, less than 5 households have lost power and should be restored by 6:30 p.m.

In Lakeview, less than 5 households have lost power and should be restored by 5 p.m.

In West Hempstead, less than 5 households have lost power and should be restored by 5:45 p.m.

In the Village of Hempstead, 33 households have lost power and should be restored by 6:45 p.m.

In Bellmore, less than 5 households have lost power and should be restored by 4:45 p.m.

In North Wantagh, l4 households have lost power and should be restored by 6:30 p.m.

While snow or wind don’t normally pose a problem for an electric system, combined and with the potential for ice on lines and trees, there can be an increase in downed wires and power outages. These conditions also make it difficult for our crews to get around. It is unsafe for our crews to go up in buckets to make repairs if there are high winds.

"Our goal, always, is to restore power as quickly and safely as possible," PSEG wrote in a statement. "We ask our customers for a fair amount of patience and to know we will be there just as soon as it is safe."

To stay in touch and stay safe with PSEG Long Island:

* To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSEG Long Island’s Electric Service line at 1-800-490-0075

* Utilize MyAlerts, PSEG Long Island’s text message service. Once registered, report power outages by texting “OUT” to PSEGLI (773454)

* To register have your account number available and text REG to PSEGLI (773454)

* Check for updates using our outage map at https://www.psegliny.com/c.cfm/Outage

* Like PSEG Long Island on Facebook and follow on Twitter for updates. Remember, though, outages cannot be reported through social media.