Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito and other City officials today advised New Yorkers to prepare for the possible effects of Hurricane Joaquin. The City is closely monitoring Hurricane Joaquin and planning for possible impacts from the storm. The City has activated its Emergency Operations Center, where more than 30 agencies are gathered to monitor and plan for Hurricane Joaquin. The City’s Emergency Management is working closely with the National Hurricane Center, and has a forecaster from National Weather Service embedded in the Emergency Operations Center 24/7.

“While it is still early to predict the path and impact of Hurricane Joaquin, New York City is ready to weather the storm. Our emergency preparedness and resiliency plans are much stronger today than they were during Sandy,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “More than 30 city agencies are working together and at a high state of alert and readiness. The City will be communicating early and often – hour-to-hour, day-to-day, to ensure that New Yorkers have the information they need to be prepared and safe. Please stay informed, ‘know your zone,’ and sign up for updates at nyc.gov, or calling 311.”

“NYC Emergency Management has been closely monitoring Joaquin from before it became a tropical depression, and we’re gearing up for any possible impacts the City may face as a result of the hurricane,” said NYCEM Commissioner Joseph Esposito. “Now is the time for New Yorkers to review their emergency plans with their families. We want people to find out whether they live or work in a hurricane evacuation zone and stay informed by signing up for Notify NYC.”

As of 2 PM today, Joaquin was a Category 4 Hurricane with max sustained winds on 130 mph and was located about 70 miles South-Southeast of San Salvador, Bahamas. The current forecast track has the center of the storm, making landfall at approximately 8 AM on Tuesday as a Tropical storm. However, there is still a significant amount of uncertainty in the track and intensity of Joaquin.

The City urges residents to find out if they live in a hurricane evacuation zone by using the Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder at www.NYC.gov or calling 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115). Areas of the city subject to storm surge flooding are divided into six zones based on how storms of various strengths will affect them. Residents in some or all of these zones may need to evacuate depending on the size of the approaching storm.

NYC Emergency Management also encourages New Yorkers to take the following actions to ensure they are prepared:

· Make sure your Emergency Supply Kit – three days of supplies, including gallons of water, non-perishable food, a first-aid kit, and a flashlight – is stocked. Have a Go Bag with items you may need if you have to evacuate your home – including copies of important documents, bottled water, non-perishable food like granola bars, flashlight, and extra batteries – ready to go.
· Help friends, relatives, and neighbors prepare – especially those with disabilities or special needs.
· Clear debris from catch basins to prevent street flooding.
· Stay tuned to local radio and TV broadcasts for the latest information about Hurricane Joaquin. Make sure you have a battery-operated radio with extra batteries handy in case you lose power during the storm.
· Make use of NYC Emergency Management’s Ready New York: Hurricanes and New York City brochure, which offers general tips on how to prepare for hurricanes and a map of New York City hurricane evacuation zones. Access the brochure online at www.NYC.gov.
· Sign up for Notify NYC at www.NYC.gov/notifynyc to receive the latest emergency information, including updates on Hurricane Joaquin.

Since Hurricane Sandy, the City has fully updated its emergency preparedness plans and made major progress implementing a $20 billion resiliency plan – ensuring that the five boroughs are safer now than they were three years ago. Among many other resiliency measures, the City has taken permanent protective measures including replenishing over 4.2 million cubic yards of sand and installing 9.8 miles of dunes on city beaches in the Rockaways, Coney Island, and Staten Island, as well as rebuilding and upgrading miles of bulkheads across the city. In addition, City agencies are deploying additional protections and taking action to further strengthen coastal defenses by clearing debris, closing any gaps, and testing equipment ahead of the storm.

The City continues to monitor Hurricane Joaquin and will issue further guidance for New Yorkers as forecasts change.

(YWN Desk – NYC)