10 Ways to Use Patch During a Blizzard

With a blizzard - aka "Nemo" - expected to pound Long Island soon, the need for up-to-the minute information is paramount.

At Patch we'll be working around-the-clock to cover updates related to the storm, but as with all of our reporting, the more interaction we get from users, the more comprehensive our coverage will be.

Lindenhurst Patch is as much your site as it is ours.

So before, during and after the storm, here’s how you can use Patch to help paint the local picture of the event.

1. Get the news. When we know about storm-related news, so will you. From important Town and Village announcements, damages, power outages and floods, we’ll have all the news covered 24-7. Refresh the home page often; we move fast.

2. Comment. If you have relevant information to add to an article, then jump in and make a comment. We’ll follow up and likely add it to the article. These storm stories will continue to evolve as we speak to more officials and locals. You can be a real-time source by commenting.

3. Connect with the local editor. Barbara Loehr’s e-mail address and phone number are listed in her profile. Use them. If you have tips, then call, e-mail or more often text to conserve cell phone power.

4. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Want the information the fastest way possible? Follow @LindyPatch and on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/LindenhurstPatch. Interact with us there, too.

5. Get the iPhone app. If the power goes out, your smartphone may end up being your only tool for getting the info on what’s going on in your community. Click here to get the Patch app for free on iTunes. Not only can you read news on it, but you can also post photos and videos.

6. Take photos. Please stay indoors if you plan to wait out the storm. But any photos you take as you prepare for the storm and of the aftermath we’d prominently display right here on Patch. E-mail them to your local editor at barbara.loehr@patch.com, upload them directly to articles, post them to Facebook page and tweet them to @LindyPatch, or upload them here: http://lindenhurst.patch.com/pics.

7. Shoot videos. The same advice goes for video. Our smartphones have put high-powered video cameras in our pockets. Send clips our way to help us report on the effect of Sandy in your backyards.

8. Get the word out about storm-related event cancelations and postponements and closings, and ask for volunteers. Our Announcements section lets readers post requests for volunteers. Use it. Fellow residents will be seeking information about what's closed and open and postponed because of Sandy - especially since halloween is in a few days. And, depending on the scope of the disaster, volunteers are going to be crucial to mend the community. Any storm-related and Volunteers Needed announcements posted on the site we'll feature prominently on the home page.

9. Blog about it. When all settles, scores of your fellow community members will have “I was there” stories to share. Don’t keep them to yourself. Sign up to be a blogger and let your neighbors know how you held up during the storm.

10. Sign up for free newsletters and breaking news alerts. Stay on top of Sandy and get all of the latest coverage by signing up here: http://lindenhurst.patch.com/newsletters.

Stay safe, Lindy!

Related Coverage:

• Freezing Rain Forecast for Mon. Morning Commute
• Near-Normal LIRR Service But Some Suspensions Remain
• UPDATE: All Sunday Southwest Flights Canceled at MacArthur Airport
• State Sends Extra Snow Removal Help
• Snowfall Totals in Lindy for Feb. 8 Blizzard
• In Babylon Town Some Wait for Plows
• Blizzard Knocks Few off the Grid in Lindy
• Post-Blizzard: What's Closed on Saturday
• Suffolk Notebook: Health Officials Warn Residents CO Poisoning
• Post-Blizzard Weekend Forecast: Feb. 9-10
• National Grid: 100K Outages Expected on LI 
• Coastal Flooding Concerns Village as Crews Stand Ready for Snow
• MAP: How Much Snow Has Fallen in Lindenhurst?
• Lindy Residents Recall '78 Blizzard as New Storm Hits
• Good Sam Activates Weather Emergency
•  
•  
• Village 'Ready to Go' Ahead of Noreaster
• LIPA Puts National Grid in Charge of Storm Response
• Noreaster Brings Blizzard Warning for Suffolk County 
• Blizzard Prep: Supplies You Need
• Legislative Breakfast Canceled Due to Impending Storm
• Blizzard Emergency Contact List for Lindy Residents
• Help Lindenhurst Patch Make a Pre-Blizzard List of Supplies
• Red Cross Urges Residents to Prepare for Blizzard
• LINGO Postponed
• 10 Ways to Use Patch During a Blizzard
• Blizzard Watch Now in Effect for Suffolk County
• Lindenhurst under Winter Storm Watch as Noreaster Approaches
• Groundhog Roundup: Mixed Forecasts
• Are Extreme Weather-Related Disruptions Our New Normal?
• Prepare for Winter Weather before the Season Starts

Connect: Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Blogging | Posting Photos | Announcements | Events