Town of Hempstead, South Shore prep for winter storm

Leading up to Wednesday's winter storm, the Town of Hempstead’s winter response team — comprised of workers from the Highway, Sanitation, Parks & Recreation, Water Departments, among others — made its final preparations earlier today.

The winter response team boasts 165 plow trucks, more than 40 payloaders, 40 pickup trucks, two tractor trailers. They have also rented an additional 13 pickup trucks with detachable plows. These vehicles will service the entire township once snowfall begins late Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night.

“They have already prepped the roadways around the town with more than 20,000 tons of salt,” said Hemsptead Town Councilwoman Christopher Carini, who represents Wantagh and Seaford. The winter response team has prepared more than 1,200 miles of the town’s roads and 121 parking lots.

According to The Weather Channel, Wantagh is slated to receive roughly 9 to 13 inches of accumulated snow through Thursday afternoon. Seaford is expected to receive 6 to 9 inches through Thursday afternoon. In some areas of the town, over a foot of accumulated snowfall is expected.

“The Town of Hempstead stands at the ready to respond to this first major snowstorm of 2020,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin in a release on Wednesday. “We encourage all residents to take this storm seriously. Stock up on basic essentials, make sure your elderly family members and friends have a warm place to stay, and, most importantly, please stay off the roads.”

Local school districts, including the Wantagh School District and Seaford School District, have chosen to transition remote learning for Thursday, Dec. 17.

“I encourage residents to stay off the roads as conditions are expected to worsen through the night. [Hempstead’s] dedicated workforce is prepared to help America’s largest township during [Winter Storm Gail],” Carini told the Herald Wednesday. “They will be out in force to make sure our roads are clear. The CSEA Local 880 workers have kept the town moving during this difficult year, ensuring our sanitation pickup, highway maintenance, operations of our parks, beaches and many of Hempstead’s other services continued despite many obstacles. I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of our workers.”

Program cancellations include the Town of Hempstead’s free Covid-19 mobile testing conducted by Northwell Health at Echo Park, which has been canceled on Dec. 17. Northwell has added two new dates — Friday, Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Book an appointment by calling (516) 821-2500. All senior enrichment programs — including transportation, shopping trips, lunch program and Long Island Cares food banks — are cancelled on Dec. 17.