Heavy Rain, Winds to Die Down Tuesday Night

While the East End dodged much of the snow that had been forecasted Tuesday, heavy rain and heavy winds did wreak some havoc. 

A large American elm tree just east of the East Hampton Presbyterian Church cracked and fell across Main Street late Tuesday morning. Village police shut down the road in both directions for a time, though the westbound lane has now been open. The Village Public Works Department and the State Department of Transportation are working to remove the tree from the eastbound lanes, according to Police Chief Mike Tracey.

Flooding was reported on some local roads, including Stephen Hand's Path between Long Lane and Route 114. East Hampton Town police asked drivers to avoid the area, and then closed that portion of the road. Many roads in low-lying areas had at least some flooding, making for challenging driving conditions.

Heavy rain continued to fall over East Hampton and eastern Long Island at midday on Tuesday. The air temperature at East Hampton Airport was 40 degrees at about 1 p.m.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Scheiderman lifted an emergency order by 10 a.m. that had been place since early Tuesday when snow was expected to fall. Instead, the snowstorm moved to the west. 

While East Hampton and Southampton Town Halls and town facilities were closed Tuesday, they are expected to resume normal operations on Wednesday.  

According to the National Weather Service, precipitation on Tuesday should taper off by nightfall and end before 10 p.m. The forecast was for temperatures to fall gradually after 8 tonight, with a low early Wednesday morning of about 25.

Winds are also expected to decline over the South Fork, from about 23 miles per hour from the east with gusts to 35, shifting to the west tonight and dropping to about 13 to 18 miles per hour by 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

There is a slight chance of snow Wednesday morning with a greater chance in the afternoon. The remainder of the work week looks dry and cold.