Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer has announced that full preparations are underway for the winter nor’easter forecast to affect the area Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. Over 100 Town plow vehicles are being prepped, equipped, and fueled and additional sand and salt has been brought in to deal with icing conditions. In addition, over 30 private contractors and volunteer firefighters are on stand-by with plowing equipment if the storm becomes severe.
“At this time as much as a foot of snow is being forecast for our area, so we are taking this storm very seriously,” said Supervisor Rich Schaffer. “I have directed our Department of Public Works to deploy all necessary resources to clear our roads as efficiently as possible and I ask residents to assist by moving their cars off the streets.”
The Town expects to begin plowing as soon as significant snow accumulation begins and every part of the 537 miles of Town roads will receive multiple passes through the hours following the storm. In addition, a large salting and sanding operation will follow to address the dangerous conditions that will build up on the roads.
“This particular storm is forecast to bring a wintery mix of precipitation before snowfall even begins, meaning we will have a very dangerous layer of ice to deal with on the roadways,” said Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez. “I urge all residents to stay off the roads if possible, and exercise extreme caution if you must drive during the storm.”
Residents still recovering from Hurricane Sandy are encouraged to take additional precautions and can find more information about staying safe during a snow storm at redcross.org. A warming shelter will be open 24 hours a day at the Town of Babylon Annex, 281 Phelps Lane. In addition, if there are power outages due to the storm, residents are welcome to utilize the Annex as a charging station for electronic devices.