From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
February 23, 2026 [post in progress]
helping hands + shovels conquer 2′-deep snow
Friday, about the same time Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for Long Island, due to the oncoming blizzard likely bring 18-24″ of snow, RING notifications started popping up on my phone asking if anyone knew anyone who shovels snow in our area.
There were few positive replies.
Early Sunday afternoon, after I charged devices, batteries, and lanterns, and before the rain turned to snow, our next-door neighbor Kirk, who’s much closer to my daughters’ ages than mine, came over to say, “Make sure to contact us if you need any help during the snowstorm.” Touched by his concern, I said I’d text his wife Jan if something went wrong.
When he added, “Don’t worry about the snow. We won’t leave you blocked in,” he might have gotten a rainy hug if my hands weren’t full.
Merrick, New York, U.S., February 23, 2026. A father and his two sons shovel their neighbor’s home on the south shore of Nassau County, after a northeast snowstorm dropped about two feet of snow across Long Island. (© 2026 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Happily, by the time I started writing this on Monday, hours after the snow stopped, the “Anyone shoveling in Merrick?” RING notifications often got several positive replies – about college-aged snow shovelers and people with snow blowers or plows – and were eventually marked “Resolved.”
Also on Monday, crews in large snowplows from the Town of Hempstead Highway Department cleared our street well enough to allow traffic to travel slowly and safely. And the plows didn’t create a Wall of China snow barrier across the entrance to our driveway.
The snow was massive and heavy, and the wind gusts were strong. Snow weighed down the top half of a tall thin bush in the front yard, and a big bushy bush (one of my favorite backgrounds for portraits) in the corner of the backyard, so severely that most branches plunged into the snow on the ground. I can’t remember the last time that happened.
But, luckily, no one in our area lost power because of the storm.
In fact, there were no widespread power outages on Long Island, according to PSEG Long Island, mypowermap.psegliny.com. However, about 1% of Long Islanders did lose power, which PSEG announced it’s working around the clock to restore.
We’re so grateful for our neighbors, including the ones who shoveled today and many times before, our other next-door neighbor and his son, who often help shovel, and our neighbor across the street. He’s also snowplowed our sidewalk, just as he was doing for other neighbors today.
Tuesday’s just minutes away. Here’s to hoping everyone’s power will be restored – and the RING notifications that continue to come in asking for snow shovelers will be marked “Resolved” – ASAP.
FEATURE PHOTO: Merrick, New York, U.S., Feb. 23, 2026. A father and his two sons shovel their neighbor’s home on the south shore of Nassau County, after a northeast snowstorm dropped about two feet of snow across Long Island. (© 2026 Ann Parry)
Neighbors Shovel after Snowstorm 2026: GALLERY
• FLASHBACK: Eleven winters ago, I captured this photo of neighbor Artie clearing our sidewalk, after clearing his and another neighbor’s sidewalk, with his snowblower.
Merrick, New York, U.S., March 5, 2015. ARTIE uses his snow blower to clear the sidewalk in front of his neighbor’s house as snow falls yet again on the south shore of Long Island, with an accumulation of 6 to 8 inches predicted. (© 2015 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
