63.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Flooding in the Five Towns
Motorists rescued in Lawrence and Atlantic Beach
Four motorists in Atlantic Beach and two in Lawrence were rescured early this morning as heavy rains caused flooding in the Five Towns and surrounding communities.
In Lawrence, the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department responded to a pair of drivers stuck on Merrill Lane and Marbridge Road at 4:38 a.m. Wednesday. In addition, the department aided the Long Beach Fire Department and Atlantic Beach Rescue in getting four motorists out of their cars on Park Street in Atlantic Beach at 4 a.m., said LCFD Chief John McHugh. No one was injured, he added. Park Street was closed due to the flooding.
"We had five calls overnight, three were for defective alarms related to water," McHugh said. "The area is soaked."
The usual places throughout Lawrence flooded, officials said, and storm drains are being kept clear.
Sanitary District 1 Superintendent George Pappas said Peninsula Boulevard was heavily flooded, along with the Village of Cedarhurst. “We expected flooding, but didn’t expect this,” said Pappas, who also serves as the mayor of Atlantic Beach. Three S.D. 1 employees who live out east in Suffolk County did not get to work today due to the flooding, Pappas said.
Up to three inches of rain fell in the Five Towns and other areas of Southwest Nassau. with localized rain fall of up to four inches is forecasted.
It is recommended that motorists don’t drive where water covers the roadway. Flood waters are deeper than they usually appear. One foot of flowing water is powerful enough to move a vehicle. Make the smart choice: turn around.
