While Winter Storm Nemo barricaded Long Island with gusting winds and record high snowfalls, State Assemblyman Steve Englebright spent the night of the storm and following morning helping to dig out residents who were forced to abandon their cars due to the storm.

Englebright, along with Setauket firefighter Sue Meyers and Chief Financial Officer of EnviroTrac John Buhagiar, drove around the Three Village area Friday night helping people dig out their stranded cars before returning home.

The group reconvened Saturday morning after the storm to tour the area, checking to see what damage was caused by the approximately 28 inches of snow Nemo dumped on the north shore of Suffolk County. The group came across unplowed side streets, homes without power, trees bending to touch the ground and community members working to unbury their cars.

“I’m going to guess 10 days,” Englebright said, giving an estimate of how long it will take for the area to get back to normal. “We’re in much better shape than we were with the hurricane. I think, all in all, we’re okay.”

Englebright said he was concerned about the predicted 60 mph winds and the damage they would cause, but thankfully the wind did not seem to be that strong, according to Englebright. Weather.com reported wind speeds at 29 mph gusting to 45 mph during the storm.

Winter Storm Nemo was not as bad as Superstorm Sandy, said Englebright, “mainly because people still have power.”

And while he estimated it will take approximately 10 days to get the area back to normal, Englebright said people should expect to be able to get to work on Monday and that the Town Highway Department is “doing a very good job.”

Reporting contributed by Rebecca Anzel