Town ready to weather storms this winter season

The record-breaking blizzards that blanketed everything with snow and freezing rains in the winter of 2010-11 may seem like distant memories, but, alas, it is that time of year again. And just as you winterize your homes and prepare for storms that may pass through in the coming months, the Town of Hempstead is readying itself and its supplies for what the Farmers' Almanac termed "clime and punishment," a season of unusually cold and stormy weather.

A number of the town's departments, including highway, parks and sanitation, are responsible for snow removal, each handling a different aspect, from spreading salt to plowing roads. According to spokeswoman Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky, the town already has about 45,000 tons of salt in storage and about $190,000 in remaining labor funds. It has budgeted about $3 million for snow removal for 2012.

"Keeping Hempstead Town's 1,200 miles of roadway plowed and safe during major storms is a tough task," said town Supervisor Kate Murray. "Fortunately, America's finest workforce did a great job in 2011 and I am confident that they will continue their top-notch performance in the coming year."

Murray went on to say that the town will continue handling storms and snow removal as it has in the past. "From monitoring weather patterns, deploying personnel in a proactive fashion, maintaining equipment and constantly communicating with staff," she said, "we have established an efficient and effective team to keep roads in great shape during winter snowstorms."