Clean up begins in Hewlett Neck

Updated Aug. 28 at 8:35 p.m.

Mother Nature is making herself obvious these days, with a Tuesday's 5.9 magnitude earthquake and this past weekend’s hurricane-turned-tropical storm, Irene. Irene’s wrath was predicted throughout the week as heading right for the Nassau County, with Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Atlantic Beach and Inwood among the locations directly in its path.

Although Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano mandated the evacuation of residents living south of Sunrise Highway between Queens and Rockville Centre, many chose to stay to try to protect their homes and property. A calm before the storm left those who stayed in a panic, clearing out aisles in the local convenience, grocery and hardware stores; by Saturday at noon there was not a water bottle or bandage to be found.

As those in the Five Towns gathered with family and friends and boarded and taped up their windows, residents were unsure whether to stay in their basements away from windows or high above ground away from the warned-of “historic floods.” It was a night filled with anxiety.

Although most residents woke up to find they still had power and didn't have flooding, residents of Hewlett Harbor, Woodsburgh and Atlantic Beach fell victims to flooding of their backyards, main roads and basements. The Woodmere Docks were swamped by 8 a.m. Sunday. The LIRR service was suspended, and traffic was backed up due to flooded parkways and roads.

Hewlett Neck Mayor Stu Troyetsky, trustee Steve Hochberg and Road Commissioner Ross Epstein were out cleaning up fallen trees and debris in the village. "It could have been worse. Thank you to County Executive Ed Mangano for calling for an evacuation; we really got lucky this time," Troyetsky said.

Although the clean up went well so far with the help of Tree Wise Men, a company based on the South Shore of Nassau County, it will still be a few days for Hewlett Neck and the Five Towns to get back to normal, Troyetsky said.