STORM COVERAGE

Mangano: Roads passable, but avoid unnecessary travel

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More than 100 snow plows patrolled Nassau County’s roadways Monday night, rendering the roads passable for those who “need to get somewhere,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.

Still, he asked residents to avoid unnecessary driving and “exercise caution” if they venture out.

“The roads are passable, but it’s a situation where if you don’t have to be out there, then you shouldn’t be out there,” Mangano said. “If you need to get somewhere, then you can get somewhere. If you just go slow, and take it easy, and leave additional breaking distance, you’ll be fine. But again, if you don’t need to, don’t go out.”

The county saw 157 car accidents overnight, roughly double the norm in dry weather, Mangano reported. Most were minor, and no blizzard-caused deaths were reported, Mangano said at 8 a.m. He said PSEG Long Island was reporting 13 localized power outages at that time.

Nassau courts are closed on Tuesday. Mangano said county parks are closed until further notice, but that he expects they will re-open later on Tuesday. Many county agencies, including the Office of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Social Services are open.

“Government really did not shut down here at the county,” Mangano said.

He credited a workforce of 240 snow-removal vehicle operators for working diligently overnight.

“Kudos to our DPW plow operators and all those that came together to meet the challenge of the blizzard of 2015,” Mangano said. “Our roads are in very good shape.”

The county executive also urged residents to be careful while using snow blowers.

“The number-one accident related to snowstorms by residents is in the clearing of snow blowers,” Mangano warned. “Do not clear the snow with your hand.”