Politics & Government

Brookhaven Town Hosts Hurricane Prep Seminar

National hurricane expert to address steps Brookhaven resident should take this storm season.

Heavy rains sweeping across the Port Jefferson area on Friday serve as a reminder the 2013 hurricane season has started

With the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea passing through, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine is asking residents to make sure they are prepared for whatever storms Mother Nature sends barreling towards Long Island. 

The town will host a free Hurricane Preparedness Seminar on June 25, from 6 - 9 p.m. in the town hall's auditorium. 

Several agencies including the National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Long Island Power Authority, Red Cross, state and county emergency agencies will give presentations. 

"We want to make sure we are ready because this is going to be a very active hurricane season," Romaine said. 

Dr. Nicholas Coch, a hurricane expert from Queens College, will give a presentation on how hurricanes and tropical storms impact Long Island. He has appeared previously on The Weather Channel and CNN. 

Brookhaven was heavily impacted Hurricane Sandy in Oct 2012, which caused coastal flooding and left residents days without electrical power. It was also severely affected by Hurricane Gloria in 1985, according to Romaine. Both were category 1 storms, on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. 

"Imagine if we had a Level 2 hurricane and we took a direct hit," Romaine said. " Do I think we're ready? No, I don't think we are." 


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