Highways close, trains stop

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was to lift the travel ban in the region at 7 a.m., and the MTA was to decide at 6 a.m. when to restart rail and bus service.

At a news conference on Saturday, Cuomo announced that he was ordering the closure of the Long Island Expressway and the Parkways. He said, "Unless it is truly an emergency, you should not be on the road. I'm not a hyper-cautious person."

The Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and Staten Island Railroad shut down at 4 p.m. Service now is suspended until further notice.

Earlier Saturday, Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Long Island and the downstate region.

Cuomo also addressed mounting coastal flooding concerns, as communities on the north and south shores of Long Island brace for the impact.

"There’s a tide tonight that we are concerned about," he said. "We’re organizing and prioritizing all our resources."

He mentioned that the Saturday morning high tide was well-handled by low-lying neighborhoods, but tonight's high tide will coincide with the full moon — drawing comparisons to 2012's superstorm Sandy.

“Everything that can be done in terms of equipment, boats, high axle vehicles is in place," he said, adding that the anticipated economic damage would be a "fraction" of what the state experienced in the wake of Sandy.

In New York, the Broadway League announced that all matinees and evening shows would be cancelled due to the travel ban on Long Island and in the city. Ticketholders were advised to contact their point of purchase for more information. Also, the Islanders' game against the Flyers, scheduled for Saturday night, has been cancelled.

And the storm even brought the Boss to a stop. Madison Square Garden announced that Bruce Springsteen's concert scheduled for Sunday was cancelled.

"Madison Square Garden and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band must postpone the performance set for Sunday (January 24) due to a tri-state travel ban and safety concerns from severe weather," the Garden said on its website. "There is not an immediate date available for reschedule but more information will be coming shortly."

Ticketholders were urged to hang onto their tickets, which would be honored for the rescheduled date.

With a blizzard warning in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday, "a disaster is imminent for which the affected local governments are unable to respond adequately," the executive order reads.

The statement orders the implementation of the state's emergency management plan and authorizes state agencies such as the Department of Transportation and the Office of Emergency Management to take steps to assist local governments and individuals. It also provides relief from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to speed up the movement of power restoration crews throughout the state.

Besides Nassau, the affected counties are Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam. New York City is also included.

Cuomo has made available 600 National Guard troops for the downstate region and has nearly 600 plows and 150,000 tons of road salt on hand to assist with the emergency.

PSEG-Long Island has nearly 1,000 personnel on standby, 400 of whom have been deployed from out of the region to help out, Cuomo's press office said.

The New York State Public Service Commission will extend Call Center Helpline hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday to help customers with power restoration. The hotline number is 800-342-3377.