Red Cross warns of above normal hurricane season on Long Island
LONG BEACH, N.Y. -- Hurricane season officially begins Wednesday.
It could rival that of 2021, which ushered in a record-breaking 21 named tropical storms.
CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reports the American Red Cross hunkered down in Long Beach preaching preparedness to a nervous community.
The Thomas family of Westbury came to the boardwalk in Long Beach to learn more about hurricane season.
"We've had such devastating hurricanes, I think it's time that people know exactly what to do," homeowner Allan Thomas said.
The Red Cross is holding informational sessions, with warnings that storms are intensifying, and hovering, which is blamed on a warming climate.
"The disasters that are happening are becoming more chronic and impactful on these communities," said Joseph Spaccarelli of the American Red Cross, Long Island.
Neighborhoods were ravaged during Sandy, Henri and Ida. This year, national agencies predict up to 21 named storms, six of which could be major.
"You want to know your risk, whether your street floods during intense rainfall, or whether storm surge can reach you wherever you live," said New York State Homeland Security Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray.
"I absolutely think we need to take it seriously. We saw what happened with Superstorm Sandy," said Copiague homeowner Nancy Depol.
Stay informed. Make sure your insurance policies are up to date. Have an emergency kit ready, and an evacuation plan. Before leaving, check on neighbors, pack extra for infants and pets. Medicine, water and chargers are all a must.
"Especially here on Long Island, because you are an island in itself," said Long Beach resident Daria Johnson.
Utilities have acted on lessons learned from past storms.
"Storm valves here in Long Beach are radio controlled valves that will shut off the gas systems in the event of flooding," said James Flannery of National Grid.
"We've been putting in taller poles, heavier wires, extensive tree trimming, hazardous tree removal in an effort to stop the outages from occurring," said Larry Torres, manager of emergency preparedness at PSEG Long Island.
Pete Bonavisa's apartment building just invested in a generator.
"So if we have a hurricane, we will have lights in the hallways," Bonavisa said.
Long Beach is ready with drones for search and rescue, and the Red Cross is asking for volunteers to help its disaster action team.
Meanwhile in Westchester County, Con Edison crews are out trimming trees to prepare for hurricane season.
Experts say most power outages during storms are caused by trees and limbs that are knocked into power lines.
Throughout the year, especially during the spring, Con Ed trims and removes dead and diseased trees.
Homeowners should contact the utility if they see trees that might pose a problem.
"We will come out and survey and remove the tree, if we deem it to be hazardous to both the public or the distribution system," Operating Supervisor Dominic Santiago told CBS2. "It's free to all the customers, there's no charge."
The utility says more than 4,000 trees have been pruned or removed under the program.