Hurricane Earl Fizzles Out of Patchogue

Residents along the Patchogue shoreline prepared for Hurricane Earl, but the storm left nothing more than a few inches of rain.

"The storm has been a big disappointment so far," said Jerry Altschuler, dock master at Mascot Dock, whose job is to make sure the boats docked don't get loose during a storm.

"They were thinking of closing the dock at 5 p.m., but the weather is pretty good so we're keeping to regular hours," Altschuler said. "It's business as usual."

Residents at Shorefront Park were playing basketball on Saturday and a family even went fishing on Mascot Dock on what was supposed to be a stormy day.

The tropical-storm warning kept some home on Friday night, but some area businesses, like shoreside restaurant Lombardi's on the Bay, remained open.

Bernadette, an East Patchogue resident dining at Lombardi's last night, even felt that boaters could head back out onto the water.

"As they look out the window and see it's not so bad, they'll start to come out," she added.

While Earl has fizzled out to sea, the National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood statement regarding a high risk of rip currents generated by conditions left from Earl. Residents should check with a lifeguard before entering the water.

For more information, check Patchogue Patch's Riptide Safety Guide or the National Weather Service advisory.