"Nassau County - Long Island, New York"

After speaking with the National Weather Service earlier today, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano ordered a Mandatory Evacuation for Nassau County residents living in a flood and storm surge zone. County Executive Mangano recently updated residents with the following statement:

“It has been 4 hours since that Mandatory Evacuation went into effect. In one hour, public transportation will begin to shut down.

Experts from the National Weather Service inform me that the worst flooding will occur tomorrow between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., then again between 7:00 p.m. and midnight. Hurricane force winds are on their way and expect to reach up to 85 miles per hour by 3:00 p.m. tomorrow and last for 12 hours. These winds can be deadly due to flying debris.

Residents in flood and storm surge zones should now be utilizing coastal evacuation routes, which include: Peninsula Blvd, Long Beach Rd., Meadowbrook Parkway and the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway. Again, if you reside in flood and storm surge zones, I ask that you immediately relocate to the home of a family member or friend that reside on higher ground.

This is important as public shelters should be a place of last resort. Four shelters are currently open. They include: Nassau Community College, which has a Special Needs component; Levittown Memorial High School; Locust Valley High School; and SUNY Old Westbury.

A Pet Shelter is also open at Nassau County Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale and in the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter in Port Washington.

At 7:00 p.m., a Kosher Shelter will open at West Hempstead High School. Tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m., a public shelter will also open at Manhasset High School.

Residents will be more comfortable in the homes of family and friends. If you do not have a place to stay on high ground, these shelters will stay open throughout the duration of the storm. For residents sheltering in their homes throughout all of Nassau County, I remind you to keep your Emergency Go-Kit in close proximity. Among other things, this kit should include medications, a first aid kit, flash light with extra batteries, a portable radio and water and dry food.

You should also store as much drinking water as possible as a precautionary measure in case of service interruption due to the storm. A minimum of three gallons of water per person for consumption should be stored.

With the possibility of electrical outages due to Hurricane Irene, many families may turn to candles and generators. I remind you to be careful with candles as they could put you, your family and first responders in harm’s way. With generators, we remind you to never run a generator inside your home, basement or attached garage as carbon monoxide in the generator’s fumes can build up in your home or areas not well ventilated and cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can lead to death.

I ask all residents to stay alert for weather forecasts and messages from Nassau County. Emergency first responders, police and public works crews remain at the call to assist our residents. Extra County police, State Police and the National Guard will patrol neighborhoods and use electronic surveillance to keep our communities safe. To prevent 911 operators from being inundated by calls, I activated the Nassau County Non-Emergency Hotline this morning.

Residents with non-life threatening emergencies should dial 1-888-684-4274 for assistance with down trees and roadside issues. All those with life threatening emergencies should dial 911.

To learn more about hurricane preparation, including assembling an Emergency Go-Kit, residents are encouraged to visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/hurricane

Mangano Urges Residents to Evacuate Flood and Storm Surge Zones