Politics & Government

UPDATE: Mandatory Evacuations in Brookhaven

Town has ordered mandatory evacuations in 11 areas in Brookhaven.

The Town of Brookhaven has order mandatory evacuation in the following areas effective 8 a.m. Saturday:

  • Blue Point, South of Montauk Highway
  • Patchogue, South of Main Street 
  • East Patchogue, South of Main Street east to the intersection
  • Bellport, South of South Country Road 
  • Brookhaven hamlet, South of South Country Road 
  • Shirley, South of Golden Gate/ Neighborhood Road 
  • Mastic Beach Village 
  • Moriches, South of Main Street 
  • Center Moriches, South of Main Street
  • Cedar Beach Peninsula, Mt. Sinai
  • East Moriches, South of East Moriches Blvd, Newport Beach Community

As of 5 p.m. Thursday the Town of Brookhaven has declared a state of emergency due to the path of Hurricane Irene.

“The Town of Brookhaven is taking the threat of Hurricane Irene extremely seriously and I made the decision to declare a state of emergency so we can adequately prepare for this potential Category 2 hurricane," Town Supervisor Mark Lesko said in a release.

Find out what's happening in Miller Place-Rocky Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If current hurricane predictions of eight to 12 foot storm surges continue, those in low lying coastal areas on the South Shore of Brookhaven should be prepared for the possibility of an evacuation, according to the Town.

Longwood High School in Middle Island has been opened as a shelter and the opening of more emergency shelters is expected. The Town's Emergency Operations Center at Brookhaven Town Hall will be open 24-hours starting tomorrow morning.

Find out what's happening in Miller Place-Rocky Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As Hurricane Irene makes its and takes aim at Long Island, Brookhaven is preparing for winds that could eclipse 70 mph and create hurricane-force winds on the East End.

Current forecasts have Irene arriving on Long Island at some point on Sunday.

Editors Note: The following is the original story posted Thursday afternoon.

The Town of Brookhaven provides a Hurricane Survival Guide and emergency preparedness kit in PDF format, both of which are attached.

The Code Enforcement Division is responsible for operating and maintaining the Emergency Operations Center for the Town during times of emergency and disaster, which is being set up in Town Hall in Farmingville. They can be contacted at 451-6161.

In emergency situations, 911 should immediately be called. In all other cases, for general inquiries regarding the Town of Brookhaven, call 451-TOWN.

There are three other numbers the town wants residents to be aware of: in case of electrical emergency's, call LIPA at 800-490-0075, for gas emergencies, call National Grid at 800-930-0045 and the American Red Cross of Suffolk County can be contacted at 924-6700

The town is also expected to release more information regarding Hurricane Irene on Thursday afternoon.

On the county level, a map of emergency shelters provided by the county can be found on its website. According to the website, media will be informed which shelters are open at what times.

The county's Office of Emergency Services coordinates and operates the emergency operations center in Yaphank in the event of an emergency. The shelter serves as a central location for services such as fire, police, utilities, health services, and other vital programs. County Executive Steve Levy and others found themselves there on Tuesday after Suffolk felt the results of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.

Levy's office did not immediately return a request for comment.

The OEM offers the following tips to prepare before a hurricane, these tips to follow during a hurricane, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers these pointers for recovering.


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