I have just completed a nearly 2-hour call with Suffolk County and Fire Island officials evaluating the impending storm. As you may know, Henri was upgraded this morning to a Category 1 hurricane. Though the hurricane shifted slightly Easterly overnight, it is expected to make its landfall directly over Fire Island. The worst of the storm is currently expected to impact the Pines beginning mid Sunday morning with the duration of its intensity until late afternoon. Rainfall totals of 4 – 6 inches, up to 7 inches accompanied by wind speeds commensurate with a Category 1 hurricane.
The Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management has issued a Voluntary Evacuation order for all of Fire Island. The order is exactly as stated. It is voluntary, not mandatory. In evaluating your decision, you may wish to consider the following:
Our Fire Department will be standing by and ready in the event of an emergency. However, response from the Suffolk County Marine Police, including all emergency medical services, may be delayed or unavailable for a period of time. There may also be power outages and potentially downed wires in the community, and PSEG may also be delayed or unavailable for a period of time.
Sayville Ferry service intends to run a full schedule today (Saturday). The last boat departing the Pines is scheduled for 10:30PM. The entire Sunday schedule will be suspended. Service is expected to resume Monday morning but will be dependent upon whether the storm lingers and flooding on the Sayville side.
Long Island Railroad service, which as of yesterday expected to shut down at 8PM tonight, is now expected to run until midnight tonight. As always, please check both the LIRR and SFS websites before embarking on travel.
If you have a car parked at any of the SFS lots, you may want to consider moving it to higher ground, for example, the Sayville LIRR station parking lot.
If you do decide to leave the island and wish to take extra precaution, you may consider shutting of your electric power at the main and turning off your propane tanks.
I hope this email helps provide you with some of the information you need to determine whether to remain or leave the Pines. If Suffolk County should provide me with any additional information that I believe would be useful for the community to consider, I will immediately pass it along.
I am grateful to Chief Joe Geiman and Ken Stein in their service to the community and their counsel to me as we prepare for Hurricane Henri to arrive.
Henry
