LIDO BEACH, N.Y. (PIX11) — Town of Hempstead officials are expecting the effects of Hurricane Lee to impact beaches along the shore, and they’re urging residents to take precautions as the entire region could see major flooding.
Hurricane Lee is not expected to directly hit the tri-state area, but Town of Hempstead officials are expecting some beach erosion and flooding.
The Town of Hempstead’s Storm Response Team wasted no time taking precautions Thursday to minimize potential damage. Crews filled payloaders with sand to create piles that would help mitigate flooding.
“We’ve been getting all of our storm drains cleaned primarily with the focus on the south shores in anticipation of flooding,” said Town Supervisor Donald Clavin. “We want to make sure they’re not clogged. In addition to that, we have crews out to the last week and they will be out all weekend long securing these waterways down here, building up these areas to try and preserve our beaches.”
Mike Miller was hoping to enjoy his day off at Lido Beach, only to find the shore is closed for swimming due.
“It was very much a surprise,” Miller said. “We were going to go swimming today. We were looking to jump in the water. We were not just looking to come to the beach.”
Supervisor Clavin said the beaches will be closed until at least Sunday, depending on how bad the storm impact is. Waves as high as 15 feet are expected. Clavin also said lifeguards will be at beaches just in case anyone decides to take a chance and swim in the water.
