High winds knock out power, close roads on North Fork
Strong winds and heavy rain have knocked down trees and knocked out power across the North Fork on Friday.
In Cutchogue, traffic is shut down between Locust Avenue and Alvahs Lane due to a fallen tree. Around 200 residences in the hamlet were without power, but it has been restored, according to Southold Police Chief Steve Grattan and PSEG.
There are 538 active outages across Long Island as of Friday afternoon. On the North Fork, the service interruptions span from Orient all the way to Baiting Hollow. Almost 200 PSEG customers have been impacted in Mattituck alone, according to the PSEG Long Island Power Map.
Over 120 East Marion residents are currently impacted, and over 1,000 in Baiting Hollow.
“It looks like crews are on scene for all of those,” said Chief Grattan.
In Riverhead, town officials have asked the public to avoid Old Country Road, or Route 58, which is currently closed in both directions at Kroemer Avenue due to downed utility poles in the roadway.
There are several other locations throughout town with leaning or fallen trees, power lines and poles, which may force further street closures. These include Harrison Avenue near Delores Avenue, Edgar Avenue near Meeting House Creek Road, in the area of 267 Penny’s Road and around 735 Reeves Ave.
A coastal flooding advisory is in effect until this afternoon, according to a news release from Riverhead Town. Some roads and low-lying properties, including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront, may experience minor flooding.
Residents are urged to use caution when traveling and should not drive through flooded roadways, around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the Riverhead area until midnight tonight. Expect wind gusts of up to 20 to 30 mph, and possibly as high as 55 mph.
