Latest Updates on Hurricane Sandy (NYC)
According to the last video press release from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, most of the bridges leading into Manhattan will be closed by 7 PM tonight. Those include the Henry Hudson, the Verrazano Narrows, the George Washington, and the Whitestone Bridge.
Among the other closures are the East Side Drive, (the FDR) and the Bronx River Parkway. Below is a list of the items touched on by the Mayor (while we still have electricity.)
- The FDR is closed
- Schools are closed today and tomorrow
- The big surge is coming at 8 PM tonight
- People who are in low-lying areas, the Bowery and Far Rockaway, have experienced flooding
- Long Island Sound will be hit between 10 and 2 AM
- Waves of 15 to 20 feet will result in erosion and water driving onto the roads, especially on Long Island
- Higher winds, then surge, then lots of rain coming
- Heaviest winds will be this afternoon and tonight. The real flooding will occur around 8 PM tonight.
- Motorists should take extreme caution
- The Bronx River Parkway will be closed
- Residents and businesses in Zone A should have evacuated. “If you are still in Zone A and you can leave safely you should do so immediately.”
- The forecasts for the storm are recently accurate. There will be high winds, and driving will be dangerous
- The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Holland Tunnel have been closed as of 2 PM
- The Whitestone Bridge, Throggs Neck Bridge, Verrazano- Narrows Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Henry Hudson Bridge, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge will all close at 7 pm.
- The Tappan Zee Bridge was closed at 4 PM
- JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport are open, but all the flights have been canceled
- Shelters are open all over the city, and you can bring your pet with you. Don’t leave your pet at home
- The storm will be here the rest of today and parts of tomorrow
- Avoid using elevators in your building in case of power outages
- Stay away from picture windows in case of flying objects and broken glass
- As winds get worse, the precautions become more stringent. Stay away from windows inside and outside
- The higher floors of high rise buildings, keep your drapes closed
- City government is open for business today, they are there to help you
- Sanitation workers have picked up thousands of pieces of refuse
- The Parks department is working on tree limbs that have fallen
- Senior centers, parks, and libraries are closed
- Stay out of the parks
- All the hospitals are open, and have released patients who did not need care
- If we follow the common sense plan we will get through the storm fine.
Senator Chuck Schumer also spoke.
- Requested FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to skip the bureaucracy and make an expedited disaster declaration
- Public assistance, the city state or any other public authority will get 75% of the costs for replacing specific items
- Includes road and bridge repair, debris removal, public utility and park and recreation repair
- It will also provide 70 % for hazard mitigation repairs, such as flood walls
- Home owners, if your home is damaged, you might be able to get repair money after you get insurance money
- And other serious needs such as medical dental and other.
- Small business loans up to 2 million dollars, such as loss of structure or if you lose all the food in your supermarket for example
- Worried about the Fire Island inlet, and dredging costs are included in the FEMA funds
- FEMA has opened two centers one in Long Island and one upstate with food and water.
The Mayor also thanked City Council members who helped out at the shelters today. Common sense says spend the afternoon indoors. It doesn’t mean you can’t go out, but it’s just more dangerous to do so.
