Clarkstown Highway Department Detailed Sandy Response

In preparation for the arrival of the Hurricane Sandy, the Clarkstown Highway Department with the assistance of county jail inmates overseen by the Sheriff’s Department filled more than 3,000 sandbags.  Highway Department Constituent Representative Frank Sparaco detailed this storm precaution along with the clearing of hundreds of drainage pipes, culverts and catch basins for the Clarkstown Town Board.

He also informed the board that New York State was sending crews to assist the town in clearing roads of trees, branches and debris, starting on Saturday. Sparaco said the department designated the 30 worst streets for those crews to cleanup.

Sparaco told the town board at its Thursday workshop that at its peak, Clarkstown had 67 totally closed roads and 27 partially closed streets.  As of Thursday evening, there were wires still blocking 14 roads but no trees were blocking streets. The state is expected to reimburse the town for extra expenses incurred for storm cleanup.

Sparaco said the highway department received 750 reports of incidents such as downed trees or branches and that 526 of those had already been completed.

To prepare for the midweek Nor’easter the department’s equipment was switched over so roads could be treated and plowed.