GOVERNOR HOCHUL URGES NEW YORKERS TO REMAIN PREPARED FOR STORM
New York, N.Y. (Dec.10, 2023) — Governor Hochul urges New Yorkers to be prepared for the raining storm over Sunday and early Monday morning around the Long Island, New York City, and Lower Mid-Hudson Regions to See Several Inches of Rain and Strong Winds That Could Cause Flooding and Power Outage.
North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Capital District and Upper Mid-Hudson Regions to Receive Heavy, Wet Snow Overnight Which Will Impact Travel on Monday Morning and Could Cause Power Outages
New Yorkers Encouraged to Pay Attention to Updated Weather Forecasts and Plan Travel and Other Activities Accordingly
Governor Kathy Hochul today urged New Yorkers to remain prepared as a large storm system is expected to cause power outages throughout much of the state and create difficult travel conditions in some locations during the Monday morning commute. Downstate areas including Long Island, New York City, and the lower Mid-Hudson regions, will see several inches of rain and strong winds that could cause flooding and power outages. Further upstate, including areas in the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Capital District, and Upper Mid-Hudson regions, rain will transition to wet heavy snow overnight, which could create difficult travel conditions during the Monday morning commute and cause power outages. New Yorkers should pay close attention to the weather forecast throughout the night and tomorrow and plan travel and other activities accordingly.
“This system will bring heavy rain and strong winds to downstate New York, while upstate will receive snow and wind tonight and tomorrow,” Governor Hochul said. “We will continue to monitor impacts from this weather system and state agencies are prepared to respond to requests for assistance. I urge all New Yorkers to watch the weather and plan your travel and activities accordingly with updated forecasts to stay safe, especially during tomorrow’s morning commute.”
Sunday and continuing into Monday, up to three inches of rain is expected across New York City and Long Island with up to five inches of rain possible across eastern Long Island. Parts of Suffolk County could see wind gusts up to 60 mph overnight tonight, which could cause power outages due to downed trees and wires, while parts of New York City and Nassau County could see 50 mph wind gusts. This evening, areas in the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Capital District and Mid-Hudson Valley will see rain transition to heavy, wet snow with a foot or more expected in the highest elevations, including the Adirondacks, Catskills, and Tug Hill, and some lower elevation areas could see up to six inches of snow. Wind gusts up to 35 mph are possible statewide, which could lead to additional, isolated power outages.
For a complete listing of weather alerts and forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website at https://alerts.weather.gov. New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert at https://alert.ny.gov, a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division is actively monitoring the weather forecast and coordinating the State’s response to the weather event. Office of Emergency Management staff are in contact with local counterparts and are prepared to facilitate requests for assistance.
The Division is prepared to deploy the following assets and shelter supplies from the State’s stockpiles, if necessary:
1,515 generators
536 chainsaws
954 portable heaters
48,636 MREs
345,432 bottles & cans of water
7,877 cots
8,149 blankets
11,220 pillows
New York State Department of Transportation
The State Department of Transportation is prepared to respond with 3,650 supervisors and operators available statewide. Staff can be configured into any type of response crew that is needed (plow, drainage, chipper, load & haul, cut & toss, etc.). Additionally, 75 ICS personnel are available to support the response to this event. The need for staff deployments will be continually re-evaluated throughout the event. All residency locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operation throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations and all equipment is ready to deploy. Fleet mechanics in affected areas will staff all main residency locations 24/7 to perform repairs and keep trucks on the road.
Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:
1619 large plow trucks
154 medium duty plows
51 tow plows
336 large loaders
37 snow blowers
