Aug 28, 2009 11:20 am US/Eastern
Danny Weakens, But Long Islanders Told To Be Ready
Tropical Storm Threatens East Coast; Long Islanders Warned
Residents From Coney Island To Montauk Preparing For The Worst
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Tropical Storm Danny storm tracker, as of Thursday at 11 p.m.
CBS
Officials on eastern Long Island are making emergency preparations for Tropical Storm Danny -- even though it has weakened considerably over the Atlantic.
Suffolk County spokesman Mark Smith says although Danny is barely a tropical storm, the area remains vulnerable to wave and wind erosion, and coastal flooding.
Although Danny's maximum sustained winds have decreased to nearly 40 mph, dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are expected along the East Coast over the next day or two.
Volunteers are being coordinated to staff shelters and answer phones if necessary. Radio equipment and generators are being tested.
Officials also are in contact with utility companies, and with the elderly and homebound who have registered with the county.
Business owners and residents from Coney Island to Montauk are keeping an eye on the Tropical Storm, hoping it continues to weaken as another summer weekend becomes threatened by Mother Nature.
Long Islanders, who had their fill of Hurricane Bill last week have fingers crossed that this weekend won't be a washout, or worse. Beachgoers are being advised of potential heavy winds, blinding rain and dangerous power outages.
"I started up my generator at home just to make sure that was all right. I really didn't think the swells would be that big," said Douglas Stiegelmaier, a Farmingville resident.
The entire work force of the Long Island Power Authority is monitoring Tropical Storm Danny's every move.
"We can't predict what Danny is going to do, but we're planning for it. And that's what we need to do," said LIPA Chairman Kevin Law.
Residents were bracing for the worst Thursday, filling their grocery carts with staples. Bread and milk were the biggest sellers at area grocery stores. The American Red Cross is getting out word that now is a great time to put together a survival bag of essentials, such as a radio, flashlight, batteries and more.
"The reality is that most Long Islanders are going to have to shelter at home," said Samuel Killie of the American Red Cross.
Meanwhile, CBS 2 Meteorologist John Elliott is calling for much cooler temperatures on Friday, as he delivered his morning forecast from Liberty National at the Barclays in Jersey City.
"We'll be lucky if we reach the mid 70s today, and for those on the eastern end of Long Island, it'll be even cooler," added Elliott. "Though Danny has weakened a bit, it can still turn it up a notch. But the question remains, just how much of a washout will the weekend be?"
Heavy rains, but no heavy flooding, were forecast for New Jersey, while in New York, waves could reach 12 feet and winds on the twin forks of Long Island could gust to 20 to 30 mph, the National Weather Service said.
If the surf churns up and dangerous coastal flooding begins, both of Long Island's County Executives say they will immediately ban swimming from the Rockaways to Montauk.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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