The major winter storm across Elmont and Franklin Square arrived as predicted, bringing heavy snowfall overnight from Sunday into Monday carrying strong, hazardous winds.
Sewanhaka Central High School District, Elmont Union Free School District and Franklin Square Union Free School District were closed on Monday.
Across Franklin Square and Elmont, conditions were hazadarous. According to Elmont resident Donald Sanusi, snow was about 1 1/2 feet on Monday morning along with heavy winds. Referring to his home, "back storm doors are frozen shut," he said.
Blizzard-like conditions blanketed cars and houses with snow, leaving residents snowed in inside their own homes.
The storm downed trees, branches and wires, which affected 15,118 of 1.2 million electric customers across Long Island and the Rockaways over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman held a news conference at Nickerson Beach in Lido Beach, announcing the county's preparedness plan that went into action early Sunday morning.“We’ll have about 75 trucks on the road, first salting and preparing the roads and highways," Blakeman said. "When the accumulation reaches approximately three inches, they will be out plowing for the duration.”
Blakeman was joined by Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, as well as representatives from the Nassau County Department of Public Works and the Office of Emergency Management.
Town Supervisor Ferretti echoed the advice to remove cars from the roadway as best as possible, to facilitate curb to curb plowing. Ferretti also offered an overlooked but critically important reminder for neighborhoods.
"If there are fire hydrants in front of your home, please clear them out," Ferretti pointed out. "So our first responders, in case of an emergency, have access to them."
"Governor Hochul has declared a state of emergency for Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and I want every Elmont resident to understand just how serious this storm is,” said Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages of the upcoming blizzard. “This is the first Blizzard Warning on Long Island since 2022. We are expecting 18 to 24 inches of snow with wind gusts potentially reaching 60 miles per hour, creating whiteout conditions that make travel not just difficult but life-threatening.”
According to Solages, the state mobilized 100 members of the New York National Guard and is deploying more than 2,000 snowplows to keep roads clear. She emphasized that the most important step residents can take is to stay home. If travel is absolutely necessary, she advised checking whether a travel ban is in place before heading out.
Many community members have voiced concerns about a lack of plowing and sidewalk maintenance following last month’s snowstorm. Bill Youngert, president of the Board of Trustees, is among them. The sidewalk outside the Franklin Square Library remained unshoveled and unplowed, he said. He sent a letter on Feb. 4 to Councilman Thomas Muscarella expressing concern about the Town of Hempstead FS-1 parking lot across from the library, which he said also remained unshoveled.
Youngert said he called the Town of Hempstead office, and after two weeks the area was finally cleared. He said he hopes to see better maintenance this time around. “But since the lot is a Town property,” he said, “the town should clear the sidewalk just like I do in front of my house.”
