Without a little prep work and routine maintenance, winter weather can wreak havoc on your home. Following a few simple steps can help you avoid frozen pipes, drafty rooms and slippery sidewalks.
1. Clear Gutters – Melting snow will have nowhere to go if gutters are clogged with leaves and debris.
2. Protect Pipes – Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks so warm air can surround pipes. Drain outside spigots before temperatures drop below freezing.
3. Improve Insulation – Cold air can seep in through openings around windows and doors. Install weather stripping and seal openings with caulk to insulate cracks and crevices.
4. Prevent Slips and Falls – Keep sidewalks and driveways clear of ice and snow. Sprinkle deicing salt on steps, sidewalks and driveways to prevent accidents.
5. Control the Temperature – Set the thermostat to at least 65 F during winter months. Consider installing an energy efficient or programmable thermostat. (eLivingtoday.com)
Michael Voltz, PSEG Long Island's director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, speaks at the PSEG Long Island Energy Forum for Advocates on Oct. 23, 2024. The annual event is an information sharing opportunity for groups and agencies that provide services to the financially disadvantaged. Photo from PSEG LI
As winter heating season approaches, PSEG Long Island reminds customers that programs exist to help people struggling with utility bills. There are also many ways they can lower their bills by using energy wisely.
“While PSEG Long Island is not a provider of natural gas or heating oil, we want all of our customers to be able to keep their homes warm this winter,” said Lou DeBrino, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Customer Operations. “To help customers manage their electricity expenses, we offer resources, tips and a variety of energy efficiency programs. There are also state programs that can help with heating costs. We know some customers are struggling to pay bills, and we encourage them to reach out to us to enroll in a deferred payment agreement and learn about available financial assistance programs. We’re here to help.”
Assistance available to those struggling with bills
PSEG Long Island wants to work with any customer struggling to pay their bills and help them find a solution. The company encourages anyone with a past-due account balance to call 1-800-490-0025 so a representative can help them develop a deferred payment agreement tailored to the needs of their household.
PSEG Long Island also offers its Residential Energy Affordability Partnership Program, a free program for income-eligible customers designed to help them save energy and lower their energy bills. A REAP technician will visit a customer’s home to conduct a free home energy survey and may install energy-saving measures. To learn more, visit psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance/reap.
Additionally, PSEG Long Island wants to make customers aware of the financial assistance programs offered by New York State:
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can provide a heating fuel grant to eligible homeowners and renters depending on income, household size and how they heat their home. A family of four may have a maximum gross monthly income of $6,390 and still qualify for benefits. This benefit is scheduled to open on Nov. 1. For more information, visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.
Emergency HEAP, a subset of the HEAP program, offers eligible customers a grant to help low- and middle-income New Yorkers avoid having their home heating disconnected or or if they are running low or are out of their deliverable heat source (i.e. fuel oil, kerosene or propane). This emergency portion of HEAP is scheduled to open on Jan. 2, 2025. If customers are experiencing an emergency, they can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location, which can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/
For low-income households facing no-heat situations, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is also accepting applications for its heating equipment repair or replacement benefit. Eligible homeowners can now apply for up to $4,000 for repair or $8,000 for replacement of a furnace, boiler or other direct heating equipment necessary to keep the household’s primary heating source working. Additionally, eligible households can receive energy efficiency services, which includes the cleaning of primary heating equipment to allow for its safe and efficient operation. Customers can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location, which can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/
Customers who apply for and receive one of these state or federal benefits are automatically placed on PSEG Long Island’s Household Assistance Program, which provides a discount of $40 or more a month on their electric bill.
The most effective thing customers can to do lower their bills is to use electricity more efficiently. Here are some helpful tips:
Seal windows and doorframes with weather stripping or caulk, and remove or cover window air conditioners to help to prevent drafts that waste energy and money.
Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter. Setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air down into a room.
Lower your thermostat by just one degree to potentially reduce your heating bill. Lowering it two degrees during the day and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.
Use a programmable thermostat to automatically manage your home’s heating and cooling needs.ENERGY STAR® estimates that homes with high heating and cooling bills, as well as homes that are unoccupied for much of the day, can save approximately $100 a year with an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat. In addition, PSEG Long Island offers rebates on smart thermostats.
Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs since, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in the home, and LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer.
Install timers and motion detectors to automatically manage indoor and outdoor lighting and help ensure lights are not on when they’re not needed.
Reduce “phantom power” by using energy efficient power strips or unplugging electronic devices when they’re not in use. Items plugged into outlets use electricity even when they’re turned off.
Customers on Time-of-Day rates can run the dishwasher, clothes dryer and other high-energy-use appliances outside of peak hours.
Customers on Time-of-Day rates can charge electric vehicles to run outside of peak hours.
Install a high efficiency air source heat pump (ASHP) to lower energy usage, save money and provide greater comfort in cold and hot months. Rebates are available from PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Program for ducted ASHP units and ductless mini split systems. Additionally, PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Plus program offers enhanced rebates for customers who meet certain income qualifications.
Blydenburgh Lake after storm, which caused the dam to breach and release the water. Photo courtesy Sebastian Artusa
Blydenburgh Lake before the storm. Photo courtesy Sebastian Artusa
By Aramis Khosronejad
Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown has been one of Long Island’s shining gems. Its endless outdoors activities for nature lovers and the beautiful scenery of Stump Pond have made it a favorite of Long Island residents.
However, the North Shore flooding Aug. 18-19 dramatically changed the county park’s immediate future. The park, like the Mill Pond in Stony Brook, is suffering the repercussions of the flash flood.
Blydenburgh Park is situated at the headwaters of Nissequogue River and is 627 acres of preserved land. Blydenburgh Lake, otherwise known as Stump Pond due to the stumps of the various trees that were cut down to create the lake, has an additional history which adds to its charm.
The lake was created by a dam constructed by Isaac Blydenburgh and his cousins all the way back in 1798. Over 200 years later, the original dam would be breached by a once-in-a-thousand-years flash flooding for Long Island, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) website description. The Weather Network said there was almost 12 inches of rainfall in Smithtown alone.
The destruction of the dam was a catastrophe for Blydenburgh Lake. The water poured into the Nissequogue River, turning the remains of the famous lake into a dry mud land with only a few meager ponds here and there.
There are various consequences of this kind of colossal drainage, one of which is the effect it will have on wildlife in the area. Blydenburgh was a favorite spot for locals to fish, according to On The Water magazine. The drainage of the lake resulted in a “popular fishery being wiped out overnight,” according to On The Water’s Nick Cancelliere.
Residents who enjoy other outdoor water activities such as kayaking and canoeing are pushing for a quick restoration of the Blydenburgh dam.
A month ago, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) made a public statement affirming the local sentiment about the reconstruction of the dam. “We will be restoring [the dam] as soon as possible,” he said.
The question remains: How will the county manage this immense repair and how long will it take?
Peter Scully is director of business development for Hayduk Engineering of Ronkonkoma and former deputy county executive, and has an extensive history working for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In an interview with TBR, he underscored the rarity of such an event as the one witnessed by Long Islanders in August.
He continued on, saying how recovery for any park greatly affected by the flash flood, such as Smithtown’s Blydenburgh Park, would take a long time.
Financial support for this size of repair will have to come from the state and federal government.
All that locals are able to do is wait and see how the reconstruction of the treasured Blydenburgh Park will play out, how long it will be and what it will take.
Olivia Ross’ bracelets, which read Stony Brook Strong or Save the Mill Pond. 100% of the proceeds are donated to reconstruction efforts. Photo courtesy Olivia Ross
By Toni-Elena Gallo
Olivia Ross may live in Port Jefferson now, but Stony Brook will always be where her heart is.
The devastating storm that hit Suffolk County on Aug. 18 and continued into the early morning hours of the next day, left Stony Brook in complete disarray, draining the Mill Pond and destroying businesses and homes. Ross, who grew up in the village, felt she needed to spring to action and help the community that has provided her with such happy memories.
“When I was little, all the way up to me taking my nieces and nephews there. So, when I saw that nothing was there, there was no life, it just broke my heart,” she said in an interview.
“Then I said, ‘Why not have this community come together and do something good? Something to unite all of us together?’ I knew I had to do something to help, because it’s so important to me — there will always be a piece of me [in Stony Brook].”
“I thought of this idea because when I was younger, and the BP oil spill happened, my aunt created these bracelets and sold them to give donations to a company that was helping clean up. So, I thought ‘What a great idea,’” Ross continued.
After meeting Ross down at Stony Brook Harbor Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals, Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, said that what she’s doing is “wonderful.”
“The paddleboard business is helping her with sales, and [when we spoke] she expressed incredible affection for the Mill Pond,” Rocchio said. “If the general public desires, they can support the community in this very difficult time.”
Ross said that 100 percent of the proceeds will go to The Ward Melville Heritage Organization for repair and restoration efforts.
“We’re backing them up, and we want to help restore such important parts of the community,” Ross added.
Ross customizes the bracelets, which she buys in bulk, to say “Stony Brook Strong” on one side and “Save the Mill Pond”’ on the other. The bracelets sell for $2 each but donations are also accepted.
“I wear mine every day,” Rocchio said.
Ross explained that with all the “negativity that goes on in the world,” she was pleased to see the positive reactions she received on Facebook, where her bracelets are available on both her and WMHO’s pages, as well as through her email, [email protected].
“I’ve sold over a hundred, and I’m almost up to a thousand dollars in donations, so I am trying to spread the word more. I’ve had a couple of businesses reach out to me asking if they could buy some in bulk, and then sell them in their stores. I love that idea,” Ross said.
And, as far as the damage that remains in Stony Brook, Rocchio explained that the WMHO is working with all facets of government, including at the federal, state, county and in conjunction with the towns of Brookhaven and Smithtown, to get Harbor Road rebuilt, among a host of other issues.
The Stony Brook Grist Mill will be getting help as early as Friday, from an excavation crew, which will begin digging out the sand damage from under the mill’s wheel, by hand, to allow it to turn once again.
Ducks walk alongside the storm-ravaged pond. Photo by Toni-Elena GalloPhoto by Toni-Elena Gallo
By Sabrina Artusa
At Mill Pond in Stony Brook, a group of swans and mallards can be observed on the sandy banks. On occasion, some Canadian geese can be seen as well, crossing the road confused and displaced.
After August’s rain, Stony Brook’s residents — both people and animals — are gradually recouping. A month later, the road ahead is a little clearer as questions on funding and rebuilding become less intimidating.
Community support
Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization which owns the Grist Mill and Mill Pond, said she is grateful for the “unbelievable” amount of support the community has shown her organization, especially as she navigates the rebuilding process.
Over 100 people came to cleanup sessions at the Mill Pond where they fished out personal effects that washed into the creek after a nearby house was damaged.
People across the country have been touched by the disaster — Rocchio has received donations and letters from people nationwide. Some were former residents.
Rebuilding
The resolve to rebuild exists in abundance. Governmental officials such as Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R), Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and community leaders like Rocchio have repeatedly announced their dedication to this area.
“People sat on the boulders, watched the wildlife, watched the sunset — that’s what we want them to have again. We have to have it back,” Rocchio said.
Rocchio said her organization has met with an engineer and has hired a marine expert to ensure the debris is cleaned out. Further, she said they are in the midst of designing a new plan for the creek leading to the pond.
The 1699 grist mill was not severely damaged. Over a foot of water washed into the basement on the west side. Now, Rocchio is concerned with waterproofing and repairing the building in a way that prevents further damage. She is also worried that the wheel will suffer from lack of use without water to keep it turning.
Town of Brookhaven officials have also stated their intentions to construct a dam that has the capacity to allow for larger amounts of water to pass through. The previous dam was not designed to endure such a large rush of water.
Stony Brook University
Two of Stony Brook University’s residence halls were damaged after severe flooding, putting the buildings out of commission. The Mendelsohn buildings were flooded with 4-6 feet of water.
With limited housing, the university initiated a $5,000 incentive to students that cancels their housing plan. The university also added beds to rooms in other halls, making them triples instead of doubles and started placing returning students in nearby hotels.
“We have expanded our recharge basins to handle increased demand. Last year, we installed a stormwater pump lift station specifically designed to redirect stormwater away from Gray and Ammann residence halls,” William Herrmann, vice president for Facilities & Services, wrote in an email.
“We have also submitted grants to secure funding for additional mitigation efforts, including the installation of stormwater retention systems, bioswales and rain gardens in the most vulnerable areas of our campus,” he added.
Funding
It is uncertain if federal aid will be secured to fund the repairs to town infrastructure. In order to gain access to federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, damages must meet a $37.5 million threshold.
Rocchio said WMHO needs funding for the grist mill.
Homeowners have the option to apply for a grant with the New York State Housing Trust Fund Agency to be reimbursed for damage that wasn’t covered by insurance. Applicants could be given up to $50,000 depending on the county’s median income. Applications should be made through the Long Island Housing Partnership. The deadline to apply is Oct. 7, and grants are awarded until funds are exhausted. Please email LIHP at [email protected] before applying.
Looking ahead
Stony Brook is moving forward, despite the unpleasant interruption the storm posed to summer affairs.
Rocchio said that tourism and visitation to Stony Brook village is almost as it was before Aug. 18.
Avalon Nature Preserve has reopened and was relatively unharmed, although some trails needed maintenance.
After the storm, residents from across Suffolk County organized efforts to save the fish that were stranded in the diminishing pond.
In another instance, a gas station owner, noticing a particularly weary looking Canadian goose wandering outside his gas station, provided food and water to the confused bird, who Rocchio guesses was born at the pond. The bird now hangs around the gas station regularly, even allowing his head to be pet. This owner muses that he adopted the goose, in a way.
“I do believe that when the Mill Pond is back with water that they will come back,” Rocchio said.
It could be some time until Stony Brook Mill Pond and the Grist Mill return to their former state, but it is a comfort to know that Stony Brook remains alive and well, and that the vitality of the community, like the pond, still flows.
Residents are Advised to Apply Here; Deadline is October 7
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced today that new grant funding is available for homeowners who sustained damages from record flooding in Suffolk County on August 18-19. The program, which will be administered by the Long Island Housing Partnership, Inc. designated by the New York Homes and Community Renewal agency, seeks to offer emergency home repair assistance and reimbursement to impacted homeowners.
“Suffolk County experienced a catastrophic storm that impacted thousands of residents who are still recovering,” said Romaine. “As we continue to assess damage and work to provide our communities with relief, I thank our partners in New York State who will provide eligible homeowners with much needed financial assistance.”
Grant funding is available to eligible residents on a first come, first serve basis. Funds allocated under the program will be limited to emergency housing repairs necessary to make the home safe, sanitary and habitable. The program is intended to assist eligible homeowners whose damages were not covered by insurance or other disaster recovery funds. Non-urgent repairs are not eligible.
Under the program guidelines, homeowners must be income eligible, defined as an annual household income equal to or less than 150% of County Area Median Income based on household size. Homeowners may not qualify for full grant award, and in no event will the total grant award to any single applicant exceed $50,000. Homeowners associations are not eligible.
The deadline to apply is October 7, 2024. Residents are advised to apply here.
Residents with questions or who need additional information are advised to contact the Flood Relief Program at [email protected] or call 631-435-4710.
Minghao Qiu presenting at the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco last year.
Photo courtesy of M. Qiu
By Daniel Dunaief
When Minghao Qiu woke up in Beijing on Jan. 12, 2013during his freshman year in college, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing or, more appropriately, not seeing. The worst air pollution day in the history of the city mostly blocked out the sun, making it appear to be closer to 8 p.m. than a typical morning.
Minghao Qiu
While Qiu’s life path includes numerous contributing factors, that unusual day altered by air pollution had a significant influence on his career.
An Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, Qiu straddles two departments that encapsulate his scientific and public policy interests. A recent hire who started this fall, Qiu will divide his time equally between the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Program in Public Health.
Qiu studies fundamental questions in atmospheric sciences as they influence human health.
He is part of several new hires who could contribute to the climate solutions center that Stony Brook is building on Governors Island and who could provide research that informs future policy decisions.
Noelle Eckley Selin, who was Qiu’s PhD advisor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems and Society and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, suggested Qiu is a valuable scientific, policy and educational asset.
“Stony Brook is doing a lot to address climate in a serious way with great research,” Selin said. Qiu joining the institution “could really help out the university’s broader climate efforts and make them more impactful.”
Selin appreciated how Qiu was eager to dive deeper into questions, wanting to ensure that conclusions were valid and asking how to use data to test various ideas.
As a mentor, Qiu has proven inspirational.
“A lot of my current students will go and talk to him and come back to me and say, ‘[Qiu] had five excellent ideas on my project,’” Selin said. “That’s characteristic of how he works. He’s really generous with his time and is always thinking about how to look at problems.”
Policy focus
Using causal inference, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry modeling, and remote sensing, Qiu focuses on environmental and energy policies with a global focus on issues involving air pollution, climate change and energy transitions.
Qiu would like to address how climate change is influencing the air people breathe. Increasing heat waves and droughts cause people to use more energy, often through air conditioning. The energy for the electricity to power temperature controls comes from natural gas, coal, or fossil fuels, which creates a feedback loop that further increases pollution and greenhouse gases.
“Our work tries to quantify this,” Qiu said.
He also analyzes the impact of climate change on wildfires, which affects air quality.
In a research paper published last year, Qiu joined several other scientists to analyze the impact of wildfires on air quality.
The study, published in the journal Nature, found that since at least 2016, wildfire smoke eroded about a quarter of previous decades-long efforts to reduce the concentration of particulates above 2.5 microgram in several states.
Wildfire-driven increases in ambient particulates are unregulated under air pollution laws.
The authors showed that the contribution of wildfires to regional and national air quality trends is likely to grow amid a warming climate.
In his research, Qiu seeks to understand how to use energy and climate policy to address air pollution and greenhouse gases.
“Renewable energy and climate policy in general provides potential benefits,” Qiu said.
He uses publicly available data in his models.
New York pivot
While wildfires have been, and likely will continue to be, an area of focus for his work, Qiu plans to shift his focus to the kind of pollution that is typically more prevalent in New York.
In large urban cities, pollution often comes from a concentration of traffic, as people commute to and from work and drive to the city for entertainment and cultural events.
“We are going to pivot a little bit, especially to factors that are more relevant” to the Empire State, he said.
While climate change is a broad category that affects patterns across the world, air pollution and its impacts are more regional.
“The biggest impact of air pollution happens locally” particularly in terms of health effects, Qiu said.
From Beijing to MIT
Born and raised in Beijing, Qiu began connecting how climate or energy policy influences air pollution at MIT.
“When I started my PhD, there was not much real world data analysis” that linked how much renewable energy helps air quality, Qiu said. “We have historical data to do that, but it’s a lot more complex.”
After he graduated from MIT, Qiu moved to Stanford, where he shifted his focus to climate change.
“There, I got to collaborate more directly with people in the public health domain,” he said, as he focused on wildfires.
Personal choices
Despite studying air pollution and climate change, Qiu does not have HEPA filters in every room and, by his own admission, does not live a particularly green life. He does not have an electric car, although he plans to get one when he needs a new vehicle. He urges people not to sacrifice the living standards to which they are accustomed, which can include eating their preferred foods and traveling to distant points in the world.
Qiu believes there are choices individuals can make to help, but that the kind of decisions necessary to improve the outlook for climate change come from centralized government policy or large enterprises.
“I have great respect for people who change their personal behavior” but he recognizes that “this is not for everyone.”
A resident of Hicksville, Qiu lives with his wife Mingyu Song, who is a software engineer. The couple met when they were in high school.
When he’s not working on climate models, he enjoys playing basketball and, at just under six feet tall, typically plays shooting guard.
As for his research, Qiu does “rigorous scientific research” that draws from historical data.
“I feel a sense of urgency that we would like to get the answers to many of the scientific evidence as quickly as possible to communicate to policy makers,” he said.
He wants his research to be impactful and to help policy makers take “appropriate measures.”
This past week’s extreme weather is yet another wake-up call that we can’t afford to ignore.
Touring the damage in Port Jefferson village, the devastation was striking, but let’s be honest — none of this should surprise us anymore. We’ve seen it before, and it’s clear we need to do more. The federal government has got to step up, which is why I’ll work to make sure that we deliver more relief and resilience for our communities in the face of natural disasters.
The first step is a significant boost in funding for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. BRIC isn’t just another government acronym — it’s a crucial resource for states, local communities, tribes and territories to tackle hazard mitigation head-on, reducing disaster risks before they strike. The goal is simple: Stop reacting after disasters and start building resilience now.
BRIC is currently funded by a 6% set-aside from major disaster declarations, meaning the funding is inconsistent and not guaranteed. While the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act committed $1 billion to BRIC over five years, that’s just a drop in the bucket. That’s why I’m advocating for an annual $1 billion investment in BRIC. To be serious about this issue, we need to make serious investments.
This investment isn’t just smart policy — it pays off big time. The National Institute of Building Sciences reports that every federal dollar spent on hazard prevention saves society $6. That’s a return on investment that would make Wall Street jealous.
But we can’t stop there. There’s a glaring gap in FEMA eligibility that needs to be addressed. Condos, co-ops and homeowners associations are excluded from aid because FEMA classifies them as businesses. That’s absurd. These are middle-class housing options that deserve relief like everyone else.
I saw it firsthand at a homeowners association I visited in Port Jefferson, where a landslide wreaked havoc after the rain. This gap has been well known since Hurricane Sandy, and it’s time to fix it.
Send me to Congress, and I’ll fight to bring real resources home and tackle climate change with the urgency it demands. The time for action is now.
John Avlon is Democratic candidate for New York Congressional District 1 on Nov. 5.
Ron Borgese and his wife, Hui Yan. Photo by Johness Kuisel
Snowy being held by Hui Yan. Photo by Johness Kuisel
By Toni-Elena Gallo
Newlyweds Ron Borgese and Hui Yan have suffered a setback to their lives together. But, an adorable puppy has managed to smooth it over a bit.
At 2:30 in the morning on Monday, Aug. 19, the couple’s tiny bichon, Snowy, startled them with loud barking. What they woke up to was catastrophic.
Last week’s severe rain storm destroyed the dam which separated Stony Brook’s Mill Pond from Stony Brook Harbor, and the Borgeses’ Main Street home was in the process of being demolished.
“We left the house, not in fear, but because we thought we might get wet, because a tree fell on our roof, and we thought we saw it come through the roof a little bit. We had no idea what was occurring, because the basement wasn’t even flooding. Then, all of a sudden, we had a torrential 1 foot, 2 foot, 4 foot — all in a half-hour’s time,” Borgese said.
He continued, “Because the dam broke, the whole Mill Pond rushed through a massive hole, which ultimately ripped off our bedroom, and the rest of our house is now condemned.”
Borgese said that Snowy is “our hero right now.” He said that if it wasn’t for him, there would be no doubt we would’ve been swept away with the currents.
As of now, the family is living in a hotel as they determine their next steps. And Snowy is doing great.
“We are waiting to hear from the insurance company, but they’re not cooperating very nicely, so far,” Borgese added. “So, I’m sure hoping that they’re going to do the right thing. If not, we’ll have to figure out what to do.”
He is hoping that FEMA and the Red Cross will be heavily involved with the repair efforts needed in Stony Brook village, and that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is serious about her promises to the area.
Scenes of the library’s destruction. Photo by Rob Lusak
Scenes of the library’s destruction. Photo by Rob Lusak
Scenes of the library’s destruction. Photo by Rob Lusak
Scene of the library’s destruction. Photo by Rob Lusak
By Toni-Elena Gallo
The Smithtown Library is in disarray after the early morning hours of the Aug. 19 blindsiding storm that dropped at least 9 inches of rain on a chunk of Suffolk’s North Shore and caused flooding of dire proportions.
Rob Lusak, director of the library, described some of the catastrophic damage.
“On Monday, the water literally filled up to the ceiling,” he said. “On the lower level, water came rushing in with such pressure that it smashed through a double-hung window. We got to work at 7 a.m., and couldn’t even get into the lower level until 4:40 [that afternoon]. That’s when we began recovery mode.”
Rainbow Restoration, a flood remediation company, was called in to extract the water clogging up the stairwells, while the Smithtown Fire Department pumped out even more.
“Once the water made its way down, it settled in the stairwells,” Lusak said. “I mean, when you get about 11 inches of rain, in two hours … . And worse than that was the sludge — the muddy, wet sludge that filled everything up — the sheer amount of that water. It cannot be caught by storm drains and lawns. It just can’t.”
The library was far from the only location in the area hit hard by this once-in-a-lifetime storm, as “Smithtown Town Hall got 4 or 5 feet of water,” he added.
The damage to the library is — to put it lightly — extensive.
Lusak’s “guesstimate” of costs is around $10 million which would include the replacement of the LearnLab, an area that was equipped with 3D printers and computers, among other equipment, also carpets, sheetrock, etc. More or less, an entirely new lower level.
“We’ll be down to concrete and steel studs,” he said.
As of Aug. 27, the library still had no power. In the interim, employees have been relocated to the other libraries within The Smithtown Library family at Nesconset, Commack and Kings Park that were not badly affected by the storm.
Perhaps the most devastating impact this storm has had is on the library’s Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana. Full of priceless documents, this area of the library contained a vault that included documents from Richard Smith — the founder of the town — and paperwork signed by Thomas Jefferson.
That section of the library was hit the harshest of all, with flooding penetrating the vault and harming the artifacts.
However, there is hope for this one-of-a-kind archive.
“We were very lucky to have an archivist fly in from Detroit, to look at our crown jewels,” Lusak said. “He thinks they can be fully restored. Two tractor trailers pulled up, which took all of the artifacts in tubs, back to Detroit. The trucks are freezers, actually. Once they arrive, they will be thawed, sanitized and restored. But, it will be at least a year before we see them again.”
As for what’s next, Lusak said that Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine’s (R) Aug. 19 State of Emergency Declaration, and Sunday’s approval of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) request for a federal Emergency Declaration were instrumental in getting things moving.
According to the state’s website (www.ny.gov), this declaration will allow “direct federal assistance,” through FEMA, “to provide emergency protective measures, including actions to protect critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, water control facilities, utilities and mass transit facilities.” Additionally it will allow “disaster recovery experts … to work with local and federal partners, to determine the state’s ability to request a federal Major Disaster Declaration and low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.”
Lusak said that the library’s insurance has been contacted, and papers have been submitted: “We are cleaning up, and we will rebuild. Better than ever.”
Without a little prep work and routine maintenance, winter weather can wreak havoc on your home. Following a few simple steps can help you avoid frozen pipes, drafty rooms and slippery sidewalks.
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