Oceanside and Island Park shut down by snow

Well, it wasn’t a white Christmas, but it got plenty white once the big day had come and gone. A blizzard some compared to the legendary storm of 1996 left Nassau county frozen in more ways than one. A snowy snaggle entangled the area after nearly two feet of snow blanketed Long Island, halting train service and rendering roads impassable. The National Weather Service said Nassau County received between 16-24 inches of snow and reported wind gusts of up to 56 miles per hour at JFK Airport.

Cold and inconvenience abounded throughout the area between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning as residents huddled in their homes or struggled to dig out cars buried under mountains of snow. The LIRR was forced to suspend service due to the storm, which left dozens of passengers to spend a chilly night stranded in the Hicksville and Jamaica stations. The LIRR managed to have a few trains running by midday Monday after hours of clearing tracks.

The Holiday Blizzard of 2010 also left LI’s streets and highways in a shambles. Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray declared a snow emergency late Sunday night and said more than 200 pieces of equipment were being utilized to plow and spread salt. She urged residents to limit their use of motor vehicles to necessary travel, saying, "Roadways can be slippery and heavy snowfall can limit visibility. By minimizing vehicular traffic, roads can be cleared more quickly and residents can minimize the risks associated with driving in storm conditions."


The Supervisor also advised residents clearing their driveways to pile snow to the right. By doing so, she said, residents would reduce the chances of having their driveways "plowed-in" by town vehicles.

For up to date information on this snow emergency residents can visit the Town of

Hempstead website at: www.TOH.LI.

Comments or questions about this story? CConnolly@LIHerald.com or 516-569-4000 x 283