Thursday, October 1, 2026
Freeport and the rest of Nassau County have begun digging out from nearly a foot of snowfall brought by Sunday’s storm, while also trying to weather the continuously frigid temperatures.
After Nassau County and County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared an official state of emergency due to the snowstorm, local responders went to work, trying to salt and clear roads as best they could.
During the weekend, the Department of Public Works at the Village of Freeport worked around the clock to keep the streets as passable as they could after the largest snowstorm on Long Island of this year’s winter season so far. Workers began salting and plowing streets before dawn on Sunday, applying 400 tons of salt to Freeport roads during the first few hours of the storm, according to the Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy’s office.
“We had workers plowing and snow blowing to keep the roadways passable. They did an excellent job,” said Mayor Kennedy. “We appreciate that, largely, residents didn’t park on the street and utilized municipal parking when they couldn’t park in a driveway. That helped a lot with keeping the streets passable for everyone, especially emergency vehicles.”
Freeport Public Schools closed on Monday, Jan. 26, due to heavy snowfall, but reopened on Tuesday. The superintendent’s office shared that, since this is the first day of classes canceled due to snow this school year, there is no need to adjust the district calendar at this time to make up for the snow day.
The Roosevelt area also experienced heavy snowfall, but the Roosevelt Union Free School District moved Monday's classes online rather than outright canceling them. Classes also reopened on Tuesday.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Rob Fisenne reminded residents not to shovel or blow snow back onto roadways. He also stated that it is the responsibility of residents to clear sidewalks when temperatures are expected to be at least 10 degrees below freezing for the following week, and more snow is forecast for Sunday, Feb. 1.
“You don’t have to use salt, but whether commercial or residential, you do have to clean off your sidewalk,” Fisenne said. “Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not cooperating, and it is too cold for the snow to melt right now.
The Village of Freeport and Nassau County Police did not report any major incidents, including power outages or other accidents, aside from minor vehicular crashes.
Despite Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy stating that a 25-person team would be working around the clock to clear snow from roadways, not all residents seem to agree that the job was done efficiently. Some took to social media to share concerns or displeasure about the status of the roads on Tuesday.
“Snow removal budget must have been $20 and a pizza. Must be a shortage on salt,” said Dominick J. Venturino on Facebook.
“Be careful around side street intersections and corners. Horrendous plowing has turned these into single-car passes,” stated Chris Starr, also on Facebook.
Regardless, the Freeport area has fortunately weathered this snowstorm without major reported injuries or loss thus far.
