Train service on the Long Island Rail Road Montauk Branch was cut late Saturday after power lines fell across the tracks near Hampton Bays during a sudden, powerful thunderstorm. Many visitors on the South Fork felt trapped, concerned that they might not get back to the city in time for work. But the rails were cleared, and trains resumed around 4 on Sunday afternoon.
The storm was especially memorable on the East End, as it struck just as many fireworks shows were concluding their grand finales. “Sharknado” it was not, but among the thousands of people who had minutes before been taking in the competing spectacles of aerial shells bursting as lightning rippled through the approaching clouds, near panic ensued. Roads were utterly jammed as drivers and pedestrians fled. Taken together, the disruptions caused by the storm, made even worse by Fourth of July weekend traffic, were a reminder of the challenges facing emergency planners.
Quite a number of years ago now, residents were amused by a series of blue-and-white road signs announcing that Montauk Highway was a designated coastal evacuation route to be followed in the event of a rapidly approaching hurricane or, more remotely, a tsunami warning. Saturday’s weather-caused headaches were a reminder of how exposed the South Fork, in particular, was to travel headaches. State and local officials have long stressed the importance of self-preparation that would allow people to shelter in place, keeping the roads as clear as possible for emergency vehicles. Last weekend was a good example of why.