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Hochul Urgers NYers To Stay Prepared As Massive Storm System Sweeps Through

As a powerful storm accompanying a cold front sweeps through New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging residents to remain prepared.

A radar image showing where the strongest rainfall has been (areas in dark green, yellow, and red) at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10.

A radar image showing where the strongest rainfall has been (areas in dark green, yellow, and red) at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10.

Photo Credit: National Weather Service

The system arrived in the region around midday on Sunday, Dec. 10, with heavy rain quickly following.

Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson Valley will see several inches of rain and strong winds that could cause flooding and power outages

North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Capital District and Upper Mid-Hudson regions will also see heavy, wet snow overnight which will impact travel on Monday morning, Dec. 11 and could cause power outages.

New Yorkers are being advised not to drive unless necessary.

"If you must travel, make sure your car is stocked with survival gear like blankets, a shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, extra warm clothing, set of tire chains, battery booster cables, quick energy foods and brightly colored cloth to use as a distress flag," the governor's office said.

"We will continue to monitor impacts from this weather system and state agencies are prepared to respond to requests for assistance," Hochul said. "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 into early Monday, around 3 inches of rain is expected across New York City and Long Island with up to 5 inches of rain possible across eastern Long Island. Parts of Suffolk County could see wind gusts up to 60 or even 70 miles per hour overnight 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. 

According to the governor's office:

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 and 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. 

The Thruway Authority staff is inspecting storm drains across the system, ensuring equipment is ready to respond to any wind, flood or weather related issues, as well as checking rock slopes in areas that are expecting heavy rain. 

The Thruway Authority is ready to respond with 687 operators and supervisors available. 

Utility companies regulated by the Department of Public Service have approximately 6,500 workers available statewide to engage in repair and restoration efforts, which includes an additional 750 workers secured by NYSEG and approximately 250 workers secured by National Grid.

All State Police four-wheel drive and specialized vehicles, including snowmobiles and utility terrain vehicles, are staged and ready for immediate response, and all emergency power and communications equipment has been tested.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employees will be poised to respond to any weather-related issues, including removal of any downed trees that may fall across tracks.

Due to forecasted high wind conditions, MTA bridges and tunnels will implement a soft ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem (piggyback, dual, triple, etc.) trucks starting 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening. Based on the current forecast and the overall timing of this weather event, it is anticipated that this soft ban will be in place until 6:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Customers are encouraged to check mta.info for the latest service updates, and to use caution while navigating the system. Customers should also sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. 

To Report an Electric Outage, call:

  • Central Hudson: 800-527-2714
  • Con Edison: 800-752-6633
  • National Grid: 800-867-5222
  • NYSEG: 800-572-1131
  • O&R: 877-434-4100
  • PSEG-LI: 800-490-0075
  • RG&E: 800-743-1701

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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