Nassau Watching Nor'Easter, Preparing For High Winds Later

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — Nassau County officials and workers are ready for the nor'easter that's currently hitting the Island, County Executive Laura Curran said. Though the rain is not bad, winds are expected to increase this afternoon, which could down trees.

At a press conference at the county's Office of Emergency Management in Bethpage, Curran said that the county is keeping a close eye on things, and urged residents to stay safe. The most important thing residents can do right now is drive cautiously, Curran said.

"We're asking people to please drive carefully," said Curran. "There have already been 16 car crashes on our roads, mostly on the North Shore."

Curran also warned drivers to avoid puddles if possible, since they can be deceptively deep.

Power outages have been minimal so far, but that could change. Higher winds are expected to come to the area around 2 p.m. and could stay through Wednesday. With the ground saturated from rain, that could lead to down trees, as well as falling limbs.

And though there is the possibility for power outages, officials do not expect the storm will pack the same punch as Ida did in August. Ida dropped record levels of rain on the area and caused widespread flooding. That doesn't seem to be a concern with this storm.

Still, Curran said workers from the county's Department of Public Works have been out all day, clearing storm drains and catch basins to make sure water can drain properly. Curran said that residents can help by clearing leaves from storm drains in front of their homes, if it's safe for them to do so.