Nor'easter Brings High Wind Warning

A nor'easter bearing down on Long Island Wednesday threatens to cause even more pain to the region’s already-damaged power infrastructure.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning for Nassau and Suffolk counties from 1 p.m. to Thursday 4 a.m. The warning calls for damaging winds from the north at 25-35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

The winds are capable of downing trees and power lines, the NWS warned. 

This comes nine days after Hurricane Sandy ripped through the region, flooding South Shore communities and knocking out power to more than 900,000 customers. LIPA reports 86,197 outages remain in Nassau and 70,360 more in Suffolk.

“Customers should expect that this storm could cause additional damage in our area, resulting in additional power outages,” LIPA announced on its website. “LIPA is preparing its operations to respond to the potential impact of this storm, and will continue to deploy its significant workforce to address any additional power outages.”

Coastal flooding is also possible in areas already suffering from Sandy’s storm surge. The NWS warned of a 3-foot tidal surge and 8-12-foot waves capable of causing even more beach erosion. A Storm Warning is in effect for the waters surrounding the region.  

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's office said: "The County Executive reminds residents that an Evacuation Order remains in effect for those residing in coastal flood zones and encourages them to take shelter in a family or friends home or in one of the County’s public shelters."

Nassau opened several shelters Wednesday in anticipation of the storm.

The forecast calls for a rain-to-snow mix arriving after 11 a.m.