Melville, NY USA – As part of an ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of water supply operations in all member districts, The Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA) attended the recent Hurricane Seminar held at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center Bethpage NY.  Deputy Commissioner Leonard B. Symons of the Town of Oyster Bay presided.

The seminar focused on effective planning for potentially catastrophic events like Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. Of particular interest to the NSWCA were discussions regarding the improvement of forecasting and outreach, including partnerships with national, state and local emergency operation centers.

“Long Island is vulnerable to storms because of its geography,” said Commissioner Richard P. Niznik of the Oyster Bay Water District.  “No one knows what Mother Nature will bring.  The seminar information indicated that the hurricane prediction for 2014 is anywhere from eight to thirteen named storms.  The relative severity of the respective storms is unknown.”

The seminar included representatives from the National Hurricane Center, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Nassau County, PSEG, and the Town of Oyster Bay.  The NSWCA was represented at the event by Commissioners Niznik and Michael F. Rich III, (Oyster Bay Water District), and NSWCA Secretary Andrew Bader (Commissioner, Plainview Water District).

“NOAA will soon have a new map on their website that will show predicted storm surge and water levels from the ground up.” Commissioner Andrew Bader stated.  “This will help us to prepare residents living in vulnerable areas.”

NSWCA President Howard Abbondondelo, Commissioner from Albertson added, “As elected Commissioners, it is incumbent upon us to continually safeguard our constituents and the water delivery systems that enable them to go about their daily lives.  This seminar and similar educational forums give us the direction to supplement our existing emergency procedures.”