Update: Officials Prepare for Wind, Flooding as Hurricane Jose Passes By
Update, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.: East Hampton Town officials have advised residents to continue to monitor the track of Hurricane Jose, which is expected to pass 200 miles east of Long Island. The town is expected to be under a tropical storm watch through Wednesday.
The National Weather Service expects winds between 30 and 40 miles per hour, two to three inches of rain, heavy surf, and a two to three-foot tidal surge peaking around high tide at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Original, Sept. 18, 5:16 p.m.: Government officials are closely monitoring Hurricane Jose, which is expected to bring tropical storm-force winds and rain to the East End as early as Monday night while it passes several hundred miles south-southeast of Montauk. A tropical storm watch is in effect for both Suffolk and Nassau Counties.
Low-lying coastal areas throughout both East Hampton and Southampton Towns may experience flooding. A two to three-foot tidal surge, peaking during high tide Wednesday at 9 a.m., is possible. An expected 3 to 5 inches of rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday are in the forecast, along with winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 45 m.p.h.
In East Hampton, Supervisor Larry Cantwell met with town emergency personnel to discuss preparations and possible impacts from the storm. In Southampton Town, Police Chief Steven Skrynecki convened a meeting with fire and emergency medical service chiefs to go over coordination. Southampton Town's emergency operations center will open at noon on Tuesday to field storm-related calls.
To prepare, residents should take in lawn furniture and other loose outdoor items or tie them down. Stocking up on supplies like water, food, batteries, and gas for generators has been advised. As a reminder, generators and grills should only be used outdoors.
In East Hampton, storm-related non-emergency calls, like reporting a downed tree limb, should be reported to the East Hampton Town Police Department at 631-537-7575. In Southampton Town, non-emergency calls are being directed to 631-728-5000.
Residents should contact PSEG-LI to report any outages at 1-800-490-0075. Outages can also be reported by texting “OUT” to 773454.
For a list of storm-related cancellations can be found on The Star's website by clicking here.
The Coast Guard has advised mariners and swimmers along the coast to use caution throughout the week. Strong rip currents are expected. Boaters have been advised to double-check lines securing boats in the water.