SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — With Hurricane Lee heading north, the city of Southampton has been hit by high tides and the possibility of coastal flooding.
To that end, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman declared a state of emergency on Thursday — and in the hours since, town officials have been working tirelessly to secure vulnerable locations on the shoreline.
According to Ryan Murphy, manager of public safety and emergency management for Southampton Town, the town's highway department and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works worked together to fortify the dune area on a section of Dune Road in Hampton Bays, “ to deal with the effects of important flush that was happening at that location.' He added: “We are optimistic that the protective action will withstand the surf and crashing waves for the next 36 hours or so to prevent any additional overwash or any breach.”
(Courtesy Southampton Town)
Snyderman said crews worked throughout the day Thursday to protect the vulnerable area on Dune Road west of Tiana Beach, where a breach was forming that morning.
“I remain concerned about the wave action associated with Hurricane Lee, particularly west of Shinnecock Inlet,” Schneiderman said. The supervisor went to the site at high tide on Thursday and Friday night to check the conditions.
“The dune there near the commercial dock is insufficient to prevent a breach,” he said, with the “most destructive” wave activity late Friday into Saturday.
On Friday, Schneiderman added that the vulnerable area with a home on Dune Road was “saved.” However, he said, “I remain concerned about the eastern end of Dune Road near the commercial dock at Hampton Bays, where the dune is quite thin. This is an area that has had problems in the past. The wave energy is particularly strong at this location. .”
The city stockpiled sand nearby to prepare for Friday night's high tide, he said.
