Blizzard response was first rate

The Island Now

On the day after Christmas, Nassau County was buried under 20 inches of snow. But unlike other places in the tri-state area the towns and villages of the county were well prepared for this emergency.

By late Tuesday the people who live on the Queens side of the border looked on in envy of the county’s cleared streets as they waited with growing impatience for plows to make even one pass through their snowed-in side streets.

The cleared streets were no accident. In places like Great Neck the emergency work began on Sunday morning long before the first snowflakes started to fall. The weather forecasts began warning on Saturday afternoon that the entire area would be hit by a major snow storm. By Saturday night a blizzard warning was issued. To their credit officials throughout the county took these warnings seriously.

Mayor Ralph Kreitzman of the Village of Great Neck said the village’s public works team was out salting and sanding the hills and dangerous corners long before the storm began. “Our department of public works guys worked over 24 hours,” he said. “They did a magnificent job cleaning up the roads which look great now. I have received lots of compliments from residents who said the department of public works did a great job during this storm.”

Compare that to New York City where Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent the better part of last week apologizing and making excuses for the city’s pitiful response to the storm. The difference it appears was in the preparation. The island trucks were rolling before the storm hit. Residents were warned not to park cars along snow emergency routes.

In the Village of Saddle Rock all roads were open on Tuesday, two days before all roads were opened in nearby Queens. Village Clerk Donna Perone said she received no phone calls about emergencies in the village during the blizzard. In Queens some people waited for hours or more for an ambulance to arrive.

The one area in Nassau County where the response fell short was the Long Island Rail Road. Residents counted on the MTA to keep the trains running and it didn’t happen.

For those who work in the city, the commute was difficult if not impossible. The MTA needs to find a better way to make certain that the rails and switches are clear within hours after the snow stops falling – not days.

But overall the residents of Nassau County can be proud of the way the public works teams responded to this storm. Congratulations to everyone involved.

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