Heat Wave Rages On

With temperatures expected to reach 91 degrees by this afternoon, the heat wave rages on and a heat advisory is again in effect until 7 p.m. The heat is expected to break tomorrow with a high estimated at 83 degrees.

Local residents are trying to beat the heat.

"I have just been lounging by my pool in order to stay cool," said Matt Haakonson, a new Sayville resident.

There were no issues reported at Good Samaritan Nursing Home, except for a scheduled trip to the beach that had to be postponed because of the soaring temperatures.

There has been a mixed reaction for local businesses.

Dave Spruce, owner of All Pro Auto Parts said, "The heat wave would be better for auto [stores] because cars would break down more, but business has been terrible for the last year because of the economy. I've been here 25 years and it has never been this bad."

Louis P. Fenech Jr., president of Royal Holiday Travel, Inc. hasn't been affected by the scorching temperatures outside. "We do pretty much everything over the phone. Thankfully, I'm still sitting here in the nice, cool splendor." said Fenech Jr.

James Gilroy, co-owner of Oysterman's in Sayville, said that although business has been up all week, his staff's well being has been first and foremost in his mind. "It has been a concern for me to make sure that my kitchen staff is staying properly hydrated and taking regular short breaks to cool down," said Gilroy, adding that customers are enjoying the establishment's dual air conditioning units, which keep the restaurant and bar dry and comfortable.

Christopher, a host at Friendly's in Sayville said, "We've been busier in the past few days and we've had more customers than usual. There have been a lot of Fribbles."

Suffolk County set up a cooling center at the Town of Islip's Ceaser Trunzo Senior Center in Brentwood, at 16 South Second Ave. to help residents in need. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday.

As of 9 a.m., LIPA reported that 11 customers in Sayville were without power. "Sporadic outages may occur due to the extraordinary load and stress on LIPA's electrical system. While LIPA has adequate power supply, it is always a good idea for our customers to conserve energy use where they can in order to lower peak demand and their energy bills," LIPA said in a statement.

To report an outage, call 1-800-490-0075.