Storm, Threat Of Washed-Out Dune Road Leads To State Of Emergency

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Thursday's storm prompted Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman to declare a local state of emergency due to the potential wash over of Dune Road.

Schneiderman issued the emergency order effective Thursday due to severe erosion and the potential of coastal flooding along the eastern end of Dune Road in Hampton Bays, he said.

The section of greatest concern is east of the Ponquogue Bridge and opposite the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock, town officials said.

Schneiderman spent hours on Dune Road Thursday and will head back later this evening, he said. Suffolk County's response has been tremendous, the supervisor said.

"The county has been moving 50 truckloads of sand, relocating it from stock piles," Schneiderman said. The area was close to breaching, with almost no dune left on the eastern end of Dune Road, he added.

The county, he said, "is holding back the tide. It's an impressive project. They were able to mobilize very quickly." County Executive Steve Bellone, he said, was "incredible. He directed his staff to do whatever was necessary to support the Town of Southampton."

Southampton Town Police Chief Steve Skrynecki, he added, as well as other department members and bay constables were on Dune Road. "There's a huge county mobilization there right now," Schneiderman said. "We're shutting down the power to protect the workers."

Efforts will continue throughout the day Friday as other tide cycles move in, he said. "This is not a small operation," Schneiderman said. "It got really bad, really fast.”

The area most affected was the spot on the ocean by the town's commercial dock, the supervisor said. "Because of the angle of the waves and the position of the jetty, it creates a swimming motion that just pulls out a lot. There was a very big dune right there and it pretty much disappeared today."

Other areas hit hard around town include the area near Peconic Bay, as well as sections of Quogue, Schneiderman said.

The supervisor’s declaration indicates an emergency exists or likely will exist and allows the closing of streets and other measures as deemed necessary, a release from the town said. In addition, the emergency declaration allows the town to accelerate any required coordination with the New York Start Department of Environmental Conservation to move sand and rebuild the dune, and it also allows the town to request assistance from the Suffolk County Department of Public Works to bring in heavy equipment to reconstruct the dune, if necessary.