Nor’easter floods coastal areas of Riverhead, heavy surf hits beaches
The North Fork on Monday continued to get battered by a nor’easter that began the day before — bringing strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, downed trees and power outages to the area.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood for the East End through 8 p.m. Monday, with forecasters warning of dangerous surf, road flooding and possible damage to waterfront structures. Officials urged residents to avoid driving through flooded roadways or around barricades.
High tide is projected around between 4:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the North Fork, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Breaking waves up to 8 feet high could lead to significant beach erosion and minor damage to waterfront structures near Peconic Bay.
In Riverhead, town officials said flooding up to 2 feet above ground level is possible in vulnerable areas near the waterfront or shoreline. Some portions of downtown Riverhead’s River Walk along the Peconic River were barricaded due to pooling waters. Other roadways, parking lots and parks in town may also experience inundation.
Residents were urged to use caution when traveling, as northeast winds between 25 and 60 mph could bring down trees and power lines.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said in a call Monday afternoon about a half dozen trees came down during the storm, but any lingering debris has been cleared off the roads. All roads are currently open.
He said flooding is expected in the usual coastal spots throughout Riverhead, such as the River Walk picnic area and Grangebel Park. The supervisor anticipated more flooding in the next high tide cycle.
The only notable damage was to one of the town highway department’s salt barns at its highway yard on Osborn Avenue, the supervisor mentioned. The high winds shredded and ripped the canvas off the sand/salt storage unit.
“Nothing major has gone wrong in the town,” Mr. Hubbard said. “The highway [department] has been super prepared. The police department has been super prepared.”
There were about 100 reports of power outages along the entire North Fork, according to PSEG Long Island. Overall, there are still about 3,000 homes without power on Long Island, the utility reported.
In case of an emergency, residents should call 911. Non-emergency calls can be directed to the Riverhead Police Department at (631) 727-4500.
The Cross Sound Ferry canceled all departures on Monday, including New London and Orient Point Lighthouse Cruises.
The storm is expected to fizzle out by Tuesday, with sunshine but cooler weather forecast for later in the week.
This story has been updated.
