Hamptons businesses, marinas make necessary preparations as Henri approaches

Restaurants are securing outdoor furniture and using sandbags to hold items down in Southampton as Tropical Storm Henri has made a westward turn toward Long Island’s East End

News 12 Staff

Aug 20, 2021, 12:27 PM

Updated 1,224 days ago

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Restaurants are securing outdoor furniture and using sandbags to hold items down in Southampton as Tropical Storm Henri has made a westward turn toward Long Island’s East End.
In Hampton Bays, there are concerns about Dune Road flooding. Nearby restaurants are taking precautions in case of high winds.
"We have a huge basement. We are very fortunate we put everything away, it will all be taken care of," says Christine Oakland Hill, of Oakland's Restaurant & Marina. "We have to be hour by hour at this point. We have to watch it and hopefully it goes east."
Over at Herrick Paint and Hardware on Main Street in Southampton, the store manager says he wishes he had stocked up on more supplies but is hopeful everything will be good when customers start heading in for essentials.
"Number one will be flashlights for sure and then batteries to supply for those flashlights, candles to use in case power dies and you don't have flashlights, which you should always have. Last but not least coolers. We've had customers that the whole fridge dies, and they buy lots of coolers," says Stefanel Grigora, of Herrick Paint and Hardware.
Tom Tupper has lived and worked on the East End for decades. He remembers Hurricane Bob 30 years ago and most recently Irene and Sandy. Tupper says there is only so much you can do to prepare.
"Put things away, get furniture away because that can blow all over the place and just batten down the hatches really," says Tupper. "I just worry about the lights going out and that's about it."
Residents say they'll be keeping an eye on the rough surf and high tide times in and around the Peconic Bay.