Southampton Fire Department Hosts FEMA Response Team During Henri

Southampton NY

22 August, 2021

3:48 PM

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SOUTHAMPTON, NY — While the impacts of Tropical Storm Henri were minimal in Southampton, the outpouring from those who stood ready to help was huge — including a special federal rescue team sent to the Hamptons from New York City. According to Chris Brenner, public information officer for the Southampton Fire Department, there were 11 calls since 4 a.m. Sunday, most automatic fire alarms. One call involved a dog that fell into Lake Agawam but was rescued before officials arrived; the dog was home safe with its family soon after. The Southampton Fire Department also maintained four full fire crews standing by at two stations since 6 a.m. Sunday, Brenner said. The crews were available to respond to any calls for assistance, including water rescue and storm-related incidents. "Although the storm hasn't been as powerful as expected, the department has maintained a steady call volume throughout the day," Brenner said, adding that Southampton Fire Chief Alfred Callahan was the chief in charge for the Southampton Fire Department. Also staged at Southampton Fire Department headquarters was the New York City Urban Search & Rescue Task Force, also known as NY-TFI1, a Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, Urban Rescue Task Force managed by New York City Emergency Management — as well as members of Suffolk County Task Force 1, Brenner said. The Southampton Fire Department stood ready to help during the storm Sunday. / Courtesy Chris Brenner, Southampton Fire Department All turned out ready to lend a hand should Henri have hit the East End as a Category 1 hurricane as originally predicted — at one point, landfall on the East End was a possibility. But the area was spared the wrath of the storm as it headed 40 miles to the east and was downgraded to a tropical storm Sunday morning. Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman was relieved by the outcome. "There were no major problems. It's behind us now," he said. Even a 6 p.m. meeting with department heads was canceled and the emergency operation center is set to close at 4 p.m. "We prepared for something much larger. It was a good exercise in terms of mobilization of people and resources gearing up for what could have been a Category 1 hurricane. It's always good to practice for those kinds of things," Schneiderman said. As of 3 p.m. 99 customers remained without power in Southampton Town, said Ryan Murphy, Southampton Town's emergency manager. He added that the Ponquogue Bridge was about to reopen as was Dune Road. The parking lot will open but the beach is still closed to swimmers and surfers, he said. All town beaches were in "good shape" Sunday and there were no problems reported in areas near the Peconic Bay that initially sparked flooding concerns, the supervisor said. "We dodged a bullet," Schneiderman said. Although the East End dodged a bullet, many stood ready to help in case the situation worsened. / Courtesy Chris Brenner, Southampton Fire Department. On Sunday, officials said there could still be significant impacts from flooding and storm surges in some areas of Long Island. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the "good news" was that Henri had shifted, reaching Long Island Sunday a little west of Montauk. The storm was then projected to bend again to the west, bringing Henri closer to the New York State border and impacting the Hudson Valley, Albany, and capital regions, Cuomo said. On Long Island, Nassau County was expected to receive about 3 inches of rain, with about 4.5 inches expected in Suffolk County. "This can cause some flooding but nothing catastrophic — if this track remains," Cuomo said. Winds on Long Island were expected to be around 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 75 miles per hour, Cuomo said. Still, the governor added, there were serious storm surges to consider, with 3-to-5 feet surges expected in the Long Island Sound and 4-to-5 feet expected in the ocean. "This is nothing to take lightly," Cuomo said. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also spoke Sunday and said it was important to remain vigilant. Concerns centered on the surge during high tide on the North Shore and East End, with sustained winds on the East End of 30 to 40 miles per hour and gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour, Bellone said. Swift water boats and rescue teams stood ready to be deployed on both the North and South Forks if necessary, Bellone said. Overnight, 20 families sought refuge in Red Cross shelters, mostly on the eastern end of the county, Bellone said. State crews were out on beaches Sunday shoring up dunes, especially on the South Shore of Long Island, to protect shorelines, Cuomo said. Dominic Rammuni, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office at Upton, Henri was downgraded to a "strong" tropical storm as of 7 a.m., he said. "We are talking about heavy rainfall; that's our primary concern," he said. The weather was expected to begin to improve late Sunday afternoon. Residents can still expect a few showers to move through the region Monday, with the system slowing down. A flood watch will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Monday night, Rammuni said.