'Fast-Moving, Significant Storm' Leaves Thousands Without Power Across Long Island: PSEG

LONG ISLAND, NY — Thursday night's wind left more than 3,000 without power, according to the PSEG Long Island outage map.

As of 8:50 p.m., of the 3,264 impacted, 2,275 were without power in Nassau County, and 989 in Suffolk County, PSEG Long Island said.

PSEG Long Island told Patch crews were working to restore power and as of 9:25 p.m., there were 2,562 customers affected from the "fast moving, significant storms. The majority in Nassau County. Crews will work throughout the night to restore power safely and as quickly as possible."

The storm had been expected to hit Long Island toward the later part of the day: According to Dominic Ramunni, meteorologist with the NWS office in Upton, the hazardous weather outlook includes an isolated tornado risk, which exists more toward the western parts of Suffolk, Nassau County, and closer to New York City.

Thunderstorms, expected to begin on Long Island Thursday afternoon and evening, were expected to bring damaging wind gusts, possible hail, and heavy downpours that could leave to nuisance flooding in poor drainage areas, Ramunni said.

According to AccuWeather in a release Thursday, "major travel disruptions" are expected in the Northeast from severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts" of up to 60 to 70 miles per hour — extending from North Carolina through New England through Thursday night.

Storms were expected to begin closer to early evening on the eastern parts of Long Island and the Twin Forks, Ramunni told Patch.

The storms, "quick movers," could dump about an inch to an inch-and-a-half of rain on Long Island; the overall risk for flash flooding is relatively low, Ramunni said.

Temperatures were expected to reach the 80s across Long Island Thursday and could reach 90 degrees in New York City, he said — the first time the 90-degree mark has been reached this season.
"It will finally feel like summer," Ramunni said.

The "heat will turn up" Sunday through Tuesday across Long Island, with temperatures in the 80s and a head index making it feel closer to the upper 90s or 100 degrees, Ramunni said.