Governor Kathy Hochul today declared a statewide State of Emergency in response to severe weather impacting communities across New York. Areas in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, including the City of Rome and areas in Madison County, have incurred severe damage due to high winds and storms.
“With possible tornado touchdowns across the state, we are standing ready to assist localities however necessary as severe weather continues to move across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers should be sure to monitor their local forecasts and prepare for hazardous travel and other impacts from these storms.”
At Governor Hochul's direction, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Enhanced Monitoring Mode to track the storms in real-time and support local governments’ requests for assistance. The State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has also activated its Fire Operations Center and will deploy teams, including canine units to provide support. The State’s swift water rescue teams are also prepared to respond. Members of the NYS Police, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, Parks, Public Service Commission and others are assisting in the response.
New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation is assembling sawyer crews to Oneida County to assist in storm clean up. The State Incident Management Team, a resource designed to assist emergency managers in ensuring a prompt, efficient and organized response to complex, multi-operational disasters has also been deployed.They bring a wealth of training and experience in the Incident Command System, including command and control, planning, logistics and administration activities.
Department of Public Service
More than 170,000 customers in Upstate New York, particularly in Central New York, Mohawk Valley and the Southern Tier, are currently without power due to extreme weather. Damage assessment, repair and restoration crews from the utility companies are working to minimize and repair any impacts to energy sector infrastructure, and the Department of Public Service is in direct contact with utility operations leadership and tracking utility response and restoration efforts.
New York State Department of Transportation
Ahead of the storm, Department of Transportation forces were actively clearing storm drains and gutters to make sure water continues to flow. Crews are now actively patrolling roads, monitoring flood conditions and clearing downed trees. DOT has the following assets available to assist statewide:
Road closures: Monitor 511 for the latest road conditions in your area.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers, and Emergency Management experts are assisting in the coordination of response efforts. ECOs are assisting on the ground with traffic control and Forest Rangers, Emergency Management staff, and regional staff are assembling sawyer teams, monitoring the developing situation, and actively patrolling areas and infrastructure impacted by severe weather. All available assets are ready to assist with any emergency response.
New York State Police
State Police are currently providing assistance to local law enforcement and have also provided additional personnel to the command post at the Oriskany State Preparedness Center for response to other areas as needed. State Police will provide additional personnel as requested.