Stay Inside, ‘Wait It Out’ Nassau County Executive Advises

MINEOLA, NY — Now that the fifth snowstorm of the season is over, residents should stay off roadways where black ice could form leading to dangerous driving conditions, or exercise more caution while driving, said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

Instead, she advised residents to stay inside and “wait it out” until the weather clears up.

“We are not expecting much accumulation today, but we just expect people to use common sense,” she said. “Obviously, people have to go to work, go to the doctor and take care of business, so we are just asking people to be a little extra careful. It may look like it is safe, but there can be some deceptive ice that you don’t see, so just take it easy, and wherever you are going, [it] will wait for you.”

Nassau received between three-to-five inches of snow which contributed to 63 car crashes that Nassau County police responded to between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. New York State Police responded to 45 crashes island-wide throughout the state's parkway system, with the majority in Nassau, between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. The crashes were described as minor.

Curran said the county’s cleanup operation ran smoothly and the fact that school children were off on winter recess was helpful in reducing the amount of cars and buses on the roadways.

The county had about 80 workers from the Department of Public Works out plowing Nassau’s arterial roads — highway travelled main roads used by commuters — yesterday and throughout the night, but the main focus Friday afternoon was to salt the roadways to prevent snow from building up.

Curran said county officials always advise residents to be mindful of town and village plow and salt trucks working along residential streets that might have trouble accessing roadways with cars parked in the street. Residents are also advised to dig out fire hydrants so that they are clear for firefighters in an emergency and to check on neighbors who might need help.