SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Thursday's storm prompted Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman to declare a local state of emergency due to the possible collapse of Dune Road.
Schneiderman issued the emergency order in effect Thursday because of severe erosion and the potential for coastal flooding along the east end of Dune Road in Hampton Bays, he said.
The section of greatest concern is east of the Ponquogue Bridge and across from the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Pier, city officials said.
Schneiderman spent hours on Dune Road Thursday and will return later this afternoon, he said. Suffolk County's response has been tremendous, the supervisor said.
“The county has moved 50 truckloads of sand, moving it from piles,” Schneiderman said. The area has almost been breached, with almost no dunes left at the eastern end of Dune Road, he added.
The county, he said, “is stemming the tide. It's an impressive project. They were able to mobilize very quickly.” Steve Bellone, he said, was “incredible. He directed his staff to do whatever was necessary to support the city of Southampton.”
Other members of the department and Bay Area police officers were on Dune Road, Southampton Police Chief Steve Skryneski added. “There's a tremendous mobilization of the county there right now,” Schneiderman said. “We are turning off the power to protect the workers.”
Efforts will continue throughout the day Friday as other tide cycles move in, he said. “It's not a small business,” Schneiderman said. “It got really bad, really fast.”
The hardest hit area was the point on the ocean next to the city's commercial pier, the supervisor said. “Because of the angle of the waves and the location of the jetty, it creates a swimming motion that just takes a lot out. There was a really big dune right there and it pretty much disappeared today.”
Other hard-hit areas around the city include the area near Peconic Bay, as well as parts of Quogue, Schneiderman said.
The superintendent's declaration indicates an emergency exists or is likely to exist and authorizes road closures and other measures as deemed necessary, a release from the city said. In addition, the emergency declaration allows the city to expedite any required coordination with the New York Start Department of Environmental Conservation to move sand and rebuild the dune, and also allows the city to request assistance from the Suffolk County Department of Public Works to bring in heavy equipment to rebuild the dune if needed.
