After a fierce winter storm swept across Long Island on Sunday, dumping heavy snow, followed by sleet and ice, Glen Cove and much of the North Shore were left digging out from roughly 18 inches of accumulation as dangerously cold temperatures settled in.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide State of Emergency ahead of the storm, mobilizing emergency resources as conditions rapidly deteriorated across the region.
In Glen Cove, Department of Public Works crews began preparing days in advance, inspecting plows, outfitting them with new rubber blades and ensuring that salt spreaders were fully operational. When snowfall intensified Sunday morning — at times falling at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour — crews were deployed, and worked continuously through Monday afternoon to clear roadways and treat icy surfaces.
“It was a group effort,” Ralph Comitino, president of the Glen Cove Civil Service Employees Association, said on Monday afternoon. “The men prepared all week. They fixed the plows, put the rubbers on, maintained all the equipment and made sure the spreaders and the salt were working. These guys did a great job.”
Comitino said that 18 workers were clearing snow during the storm, battling the rapid accumulation and plunging temperatures, which created treacherous conditions.
“They were here from six o’clock in the morning through the next day, still trying to make sure people could drive safely,” he said, “because once it freezes overnight it becomes really dangerous.”
By Tuesday morning, cleanup operations had moved into the assessment and finishing phases. In a statement by Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck’s office on Tuesday, residents were advised that DPW crews were continuing to address remaining trouble spots and sanding areas that needed additional treatment.
“Please be patient as this work continues,” the statement read. “Do not throw or plow snow into the roadway. Snow must be placed on your lawn or kept within the confines of your business property.”
While city crews worked around the clock, many residents relied on neighbors and other community members when the volume of snow became overwhelming.
On a Glen Cove community Facebook survey, Lionel Galindo described being trapped at home. “My wife had to work no matter what, my son is sick so I couldn’t leave him alone and go outside to shovel,” Galindo wrote. “Couldn’t get my truck out of the driveway. We were snowed in. Tammy Lanham’s son [Dylan] came over today and helped save the day. He was a gentleman and got things done quickly.”
For Robert Batchelor, the storm became a reminder of how neighbors often step up when help is needed most.
“I’m 85 so I stayed in my house until it was over,” Batchelor wrote. “My neighbor had a Bob Cat and cleaned the end of my driveway. Then he plowed the street in front of my house. Next his wife and another neighbor cleaned my steps and sidewalks plus a path down my drive to the street.”
Batchelor said that after clearing his car and finishing the remaining snow with his blower, he reflected on how roles had reversed.
“I’m not used to receiving help,” he wrote. “I’ve been shoveling snow here since I was 14. In the past I was the one helping my neighbors.”
While many residents focused on staying warm and clearing snow, others had more unique priorities — including members of the Baby Seals 365 Swim Club, a group of Glen Cove cold-water swimmers who gather every day at Pryibil Beach.
Founded during the coronavirus pandemic, the club has grown into a year-round community of swimmers who plunge into Long Island Sound for the benefit of their physical and mental wellness. Sunday’s blizzard pushed even the most dedicated members to their limits.
“That day was really brutal at the beach,” said Lawrence Stone, a club organizer. “The wind was blowing sideways that people couldn’t even see, some sand was pelting us, the waves were huge, and the beach was barely sand anymore — it was ice.”
Seven members showed up during the storm, Stone said, and just two entered the water. “Which never happens,” he said. “If we go down, we usually all go in, but the conditions were really intense. You couldn’t even walk forward — I had to walk backwards into the wind.”
With gusts reaching roughly 30 miles per hour and a wind chill below zero, Stone emphasized that cold plunging in such conditions can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers.
“It’s not really the temperature — it’s the wind,” he said. “The wind whips the heat away from you and you lose dexterity in your hands. That’s when dangerous things can happen. It’s not something anyone should just try in the middle of a blizzard.”
Stone explained that swimmers follow strict protocols, including keeping cars running and warm; wearing protective boots, gloves and hats; and carefully managing how they warm up afterward to avoid medical risks such as severe shivering and hypothermia.
“There are so many factors you have to plan for,” he said. “How you’re going to get dressed, how you’re going to warm up — your mind kind of goes to sleep in that cold. You have to know what you’re doing.”
Despite the risks, Stone said, the mental benefits of pushing through extreme conditions have been life-changing for him.
“When you survive something as crazy as this, you come out the other side feeling like there’s nothing in the world that can stop you,” he said. “If you were doubting yourself or feeling low, you just did something superhuman. It gives you strength to keep moving forward.”
Stone’s guide to polar plunging can be found at stonefireice.com.
