Weekend Nor’easter packing 60 mph gusts threatens events
A powerful nor’easter expected to batter Long Island this weekend is forcing events indoors — and canceling others — across the North Fork, with gusts up to 60 mph and as much as 3 inches of rain forecasted from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening.
Coastal flooding remains the biggest concern, according to the National Weather Service, with three to four high-tide cycles likely to inundate low-lying areas.
Showers are expected to begin after 8 p.m. Saturday, with sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph and stronger gusts on the East End. Winds should ease by midday Monday, though showers could linger into Tuesday.
The Riverhead County Fair, scheduled for Sunday, has been canceled entirely, officials announced on Facebook on Friday. This is only the second time that the fair has been canceled by Bruce and Susan Young, who put the day together.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions that us and the committee has ever had to make,” said Ms. Young. “The biggest fear you have is the storm passing without hitting us; but the safety of everyone concerned is more important.”
Sunday’s downpour — after weeks of unseasonably warm weather — has put a damper on the Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.’s annual Oyster Festival. The event was set to close Carpenter Street for the first time but has been moved indoors to the brewery’s Peconic location at 42155 Main Road.
“We were really excited about expanding with the closure of the whole street,” owner Rich Vandenburgh said. “The wind would be a real issue with the tents and all that. We’re fortunate enough to have a space in Peconic that will allow us to still hold the event indoors.”
If it were just rain, he added, the brewery would have “pushed through in some nautical weather,” but the forecasted winds made that impossible.
The storm poses serious challenges for the North Fork’s fishing and maritime industries. Nate Phillips, who runs the pack house in Greenport, said his team still plans to work — “but that could change.”
“There’s a good chance it’s going to beat us up pretty good,” Mr. Phillips said. “We’re going to get hit, yeah — I just hope we don’t get flooded.
“If fishermen can get out, they’ll work,” he added. “If they can’t, they won’t.”
Cross Sound Ferry said it is monitoring conditions and will announce any service changes.
Coastal flooding could impact roads and parking lots during high tides, particularly Sunday and Monday.
The Riverhead High Department has been spending all day Friday preparing chainsaws and other machinery and trucks. The department has also been pumping down as many “problem drains” as possible to prevent flooding before it happens.
PSEG Long Island also warned residents to prepare for potential power outages, to avoid any downed wires and to call the 24-hour electric service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911 to report them. They also maintain a map of reported power outages.
