Tidal Flooding A Concern As Snowstorm Socks Southampton: Supe

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — With the snow falling heavily in Southampton, coastal flooding was the chief concern Monday, according to Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

As of Monday morning, snow was falling about an inch per hour, with accumulations between four and five inches, and most seen in western parts of town, Schneiderman said.

While the snow was expected to switch over to rain Monday afternoon, around 5 p.m., the "roads are dangerous," the supervisor said.

Four minor accidents with no injuries were reported, he said.

However,the concern remained tidal issues: Dune Road was closed from the Ponquogue bridge to Westhampton, and high tide came in around 11:30 a.m.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better," Schneiderman said Monday morning.

Plow operators were also having trouble keeping up with the volume of snow, as it was falling at such a rapid rate; Gov. Andrew Cuomo echoed that concern in a news briefing Monday.

Schneiderman did not initially issue a state of emergency as police said all roads remained accessible but he said that could change if conditions worsened and accumulations of eight inches or more were seen.

Southampton Town Hall, all schools and COVID-testing facilities were closed Monday; there were five customers without power Monday morning and two traffic lights, one in Westhampton and one in Sagaponack, were malfunctioning, he said.

"I'm urging people to stay off the roads and let the plows do their job," Schneiderman said. "People should watch it from their windows. It's awfully pretty out there."