Hurricane Sandy Update

Dear Elected Official:

This storm is changing quickly and this morning Mayor Bloomberg ordered a mandatory evacuation of Zone A and other low-lying coastal areas is necessary. This means that everyone in these areas must leave and go somewhere outside the evacuation zone.

In addition, New York City schools will be closed tomorrow.

Hurricane Sandy continues to be a dangerous storm. Storm surges are predicted to reach 6 to 11 feet which would result in flooding in these areas beginning tomorrow morning. We expect the peak of this surge will take place from late Monday into early Tuesday, and flooding continue throughout Tuesday. We also expect that gale force winds will commence around sunset this evening.

Areas in the Evacuation Zone:

For those who were part of the preparations for Hurricane Irene, these sections of the city are familiar. The areas in the evacuation zone include:

Brooklyn: Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Red Hook and other areas along the East River

Queens: All of the Rockaways, Hamilton Beach, Broad Channel, and portions of Hunters Point

Staten Island: Nearly the entire coastline

Bronx: City Island, a small patch of Throggs Neck, and another patch of the South Bronx

Manhattan: Battery Park City, stretches of the West Side waterfront, parts of the Lower East Side and East Village

New Yorkers can determine if they live in an evacuation zone by viewing this map or calling 311.

NYCHA:

There are 26 public housing developments in the evacuation zone.

We are encouraging NYCHA residents in the evacuation zone to take public transportation if possible. For those who cannot get to public transportation, we will be providing buses that residents can take to their nearest evacuation center. These will run from 3-9pm today.

Elevators in these buildings will be shut down at 7pm tonight.

Starting Friday we have coordinated with tenant associations and conducted extensive outreach to notify residents of how to best prepare for the storm. We are also issuing robocalls and conducting a door to door canvas to alert residents of the evacuation.

Evacuation Centers:

72 evacuation centers across the city are now open and will be for the duration of the storm.

These facilities are open to anyone who needs them, will provide a safe place to sleep, and will have food. Pets are welcome.

All shelters have at least one entrance usable for wheelchairs. More information is available via 311, the OEM website and the Mayorħ Office of People with Disabilities website, both of which will also provide information about accessible transportation.

New Yorkers can find the closest evacuation center to them here.

Schools:

Schools will be closed tomorrow (Monday.)

Libraries:

Libraries (all three systems) will be closed tomorrow (Monday.)

Transportation:

The MTA has suspended all service, with subways ending service at 7pm and buses at 9pm tonight. Until then the MTA has increased service to assist with the evacuation.

People should stay off the roads as much as possible. Conditions may become dangerous, and any traffic would impede our emergency services crews.

Alternate side parking is suspended.

The Department of Transportation and the MTA will closely track wind conditions on the cityħ bridges and implement slowdowns and closures as necessary to ensure safety.

The Staten Island Ferry will continue to run unless very high winds force temporary service disruptions.

The East River Ferry is shut down.

PATH trains will shut down at 12:01am Monday morning.

Parks and Beaches:

All city parks will close at 5pm today.

Going to parks and beaches during the storm will be very dangerous. Falling tree branches and strong ocean currents will be constant threats.

Healthcare Facilities:

In general we will not be evacuating patients from facilities in the evacuation zone. Patients are being moved to higher floors in case of flooding.

Teams from the City Health Department are at these facilities making sure their emergency generators are working and that they have backup fuel supplies.

We have also ordered these facilities to increase staffing immediately, and they have done so.

Construction:

The Department of Buildings has mandated that all outdoor construction be suspended as of yesterday.

Materials to Share with Your Constituents:

Map of Zone A and low-lying evacuation areas: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/zoneA_evac_centers_102612.pdf

NYC Severe Weather site: http://www.nyc.gov/severeweather

Ready New York Hurricane Guide: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/ready/hurricane_guide.shtml

Ready New York for Business Guide: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/ready/biz_guide.shtml

Staying Informed

For the latest updates on the storm, New Yorkers can:

Visit the NYC Severe Weather site on NYC.gov

Follow @nycmayorsoffice Twitter

Sign up for notifications from Notify NYC

As always, we will continue to update you as the storm progresses.