Hurricane Lee Prompts Emergency NY Preparations

NEW YORK CITY — Hurricane Lee's uncertain path prompted officials to warn New York City dwellers to make emergency plans for if the powerful storm hits the city.

The warning by city emergency management officials Tuesday came within minutes of Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement that she's deploying 50 National Guard soldiers to Long Island.

Both Hochul and city officials cautioned that so far Lee — a Category 3 storm moving north through the Atlantic — is not expected to bring significant winds, rain or flooding to the region.

But the governor said because it's too early to predict Lee's future path that everyone should plan for the worst.

"Out of an abundance of caution, I have deployed the National Guard and directed state agencies to prepare emergency response assets and be ready to respond to local requests for assistance," she said in a statement. "New Yorkers in coastal areas should watch the forecast and be ready to act, if necessary, to stay safe."

A National Hurricane Center projection of Lee's path released Monday showed the major storm heading north and skirting just outside the East Coast later this week.

Forecasters projected Lee would be just east of Long Island by Saturday at 2 p.m. They also warned it was too soon to predict Lee's impact on the coast.

"However, wind and rainfall hazards will likely extend well away from the center as Lee grows in size," the projection states.

But even if New York City escapes significant wind and rain, it likely still will see indirect impacts such as high surf and dangerous rip currents on its Atlantic-facing beaches by Wednesday, emergency management officials warned.

New Yorkers in flood-prone areas and basement apartments should review if they're in one of the city's six evacuation zones, which they can do here, officials said. They should also sign up for emergency notifications by the Notify NYC mobile app, NYC.gov/notifynyc, 311, or @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

"Our City’s emergency managers are fully engaged and coordinating across agencies to ensure the safety of our residents," said Zach Iscol, the city's emergency management commissioner, in a statement. "But we can't do it alone. I urge every New Yorker to review your emergency plans, know if you are in an evacuation zone, and stay informed through Notify NYC. We all play a role in our city's resilience."

More safety tips — including creating a Go Bag that includes food, water, first aid supplies and other essentials — can be found here.