NEW YORK (WABC) — A powerful blizzard brought up to two feet of snow and possibly more across both Nassau and Suffolk counties Sunday into Monday evening.
The storm snarled mass transit, including the Long Island Rail Road, which announced it will resume limited service on the Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Montauk and Port Washington branches beginning at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, with others getting back on track later in the day.
The MTA shut it down preemptively rather than be at the mercy of the blizzard, which dumped more than 20 inches on parts of the island.
LIRR commuter Roseann Hogan used to commute on the train for decades and remembers getting stuck or stranded in storms.
"Many times we would stand at Jamaica or be at Penn Station, so I guess this is a good thing, as long as you weren't already stuck in the city and couldn't get home," she said.
The MTA is asking those who rely on the railroad to check the Train Time app for schedule specifics.
Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced that most schools will be closed Tuesday due to hazardous conditions.
Across the region, strip malls, supermarkets and other businesses largely heeded the travel ban, leaving parking lots mostly empty.
A travel ban remains in effect in Suffolk County until 9 p.m. on Monday. The restriction did not apply to essential workers or snowplow operators.
Beyond the heavy snowfall, officials are closely monitoring the risk of coastal flooding during high tide cycles, particularly in low-lying waterfront communities.
"Living down here, you deal with the floods, the snow – it comes in," said Long Island resident Gary Jones. "Being by the water, we worry about the flooding more than anything else. The tides, that's what gets us."
Jones recalled the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy.
"When Hurricane Sandy came, I had 12 feet of water in my house," he said.
Officials continue to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain alert as cleanup efforts continue and coastal conditions are monitored.
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