Mystery Drones Reported On North Fork: Police
NORTH FORK, NY : “They’re here!”
So said North Fork resident Gwen Groocock about the mystery drones that have left residents on Staten Island, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Nassau and western Suffolk and now, the North Fork, perplexed.
Southold Town Police Chief Steve Grattan said over the weekend, police had “a few reports of drones seen throughout town” on the North Fork.
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Residents across the affected regions have turned to social media to share their confusion, fears, and frustration with federal officials for what they say is lack of information or action about the many unconfirmed reports of drones overhead.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said that in response to her calls for additional resources, the federal government is deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York.
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The runways at Stewart International Airport were shut down for about one hour Friday night because of drone activity in the airspace, Hochul said.
Groocock said on the December 12, 13, and 15, drones were reportedly seen flying over the North Fork of Long Island.
“They’re visible mostly to the north, towards the Long Island Sound,” she said.
On social media, reports came in from residents on the North Fork, including Cutchogue, New Suffolk, Mattituck, and Shelter Island— and to the west in areas of Riverhead including Wading River, and on the beaches near the Long Island Sound.
Groocock said during her first sightings of what she believes to be drones, they were “randomly moving here and there,” but on Sunday night, were moving directly east in a steady fashion.
“It appears that they are headed back to wherever they dock. To the east of us is the open sea and ocean, also Plum Island, which is owned by the Department of Homeland Security,” she said.
Groocock said from her observations, some drones went dark when commercial planes flew overhead; others emitted a steady green light or a red/white light pattern, she added.
“We are in a smallish community in a relatively rural area, far from a major working airport, with lots of farm fields and clear views of the horizon. There’s never been this kind of activity,” she said, adding that the drones do not appear to show up on the flight apps.
The drones have heightened concerns in Pennsylvania and New Jersey: Over the weekend, two drones were spotted flying over the PSEG nuclear power plant in Salem, NJ officials said. The utility company has now asked the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down the airspace over the sensitive sites.
Morris County, NJ has been a hotspot for drone sightings since they first started appearing, which was around Nov. 18. But almost four weeks later, state and federal officials have little to share about the origin or purpose of these nighttime visitors.
Drones were also spotted throughout the greater Philadelphia area on Thursday, perhaps the most widespread night yet of the unexplained sightings in the local area.
With reporting by Peggy Spellman Hoey, Jeff Edwards, Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, and Justin Heinze.
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