Suffolk FRES, Red Cross Prepare For Earl

Suffolk County government and the Suffolk County Chapter of the American Red Cross are preparing for the possibility of Hurricane Earl arriving in the Long Island area later this week.

Liz Bransky, emergency services director for the Suffolk County Chapter of the American Red Cross, said that the organization's volunteers are on alert.

Bransky said that areas south of Montauk Highway are prone to flooding due to storm surge, which is the rising of water due to storm conditions.

Residents should prepare for the storm by having an in-home shelter kit with seven days worth of water, food, medication and other supplies. A similar kit should be prepared for the road in the event of evacuation.

The organization has 25 shelters in Suffolk County. Bransky said that in the event of evacuations, those seeking them out should pay attention to local media which will announce open shelters. 

"The shelters opened will depend on how the storm hits and when," said Bransky. The shelters are all equipped with a conex box, which contains a dozen cots, two-dozen blankets, personal hygiene products and other supplies.

Bransky said that Suffolk County will determine who gets evacuated, which will be based on factors such as wind strength and potential for flooding. Those that evacuate should shut off electricity to the home and turn off the heating system. Bransky advised contacting gas providers beforehand to find out how to shut down the gas system in one's home.

At the county level, the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management (FRES) has implemented a 120-hour plan. "This plan includes conference calls with the National Weather Service, New York State Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)," said FRES Commissioner Joseph Williams, who encourages residents who experience flooding in their basements during normal rain to stay with relatives or friends who do not live in a flood zone. "We expect that most people will 'shelter in place' (stay home)."

In the event of evacuation, FRES has identified numerous shelters on Long Island.

"If needed, we will open some of our shelters on Thursday," said Williams. "South Shore shelters usually open first since they usually get hit the hardest." Although the county has 127 shelters located throughout Suffolk, not all will be available. Information on shelters is available on the Suffolk County FRES website.

Suffolk County also provides assistance to those with special needs as part of their Joint Emergency Evacuation Program (JEEP). However, one must sign up for JEEP, which can be done by calling the county's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) at 852-4900. For those with special needs who are not yet part of the program, information and assistance can be obtained in an emergency by calling 852-COPS.

"There are 500 people signed up right now and we will start checking with those people on Wednesday," said Williams, who urged residents who are looking for help to avoid calling 911, unless it is an absolute emergency.

The Red Cross will hold two hurricane safety information sessions, one at Bayshore Public Library Tuesday at 7 p.m. and another at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson at the end of September. The Red Cross also offers a hurricane safety checklist which can be viewed in the pdf section.

The Village of Patchogue and the Town of Brookhaven were not available to comment as of press time.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, Earl is traveling north of the Virgin Islands. AOL News reports that Earl has been upgraded to a category 4 storm. According to weather.com, Earl is projected to arrive in the Long Island area on Friday.