Cuomo Declares Emergency Due To Approaching Hurricane

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With Henri expected to be near or at hurricane strength when it makes landfall Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the Hudson Valley, as well as Long Island and some counties upstate.

Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan and Columbia counties are covered by the emergency declaration issued Saturday.

As of Saturday, Henri was a category 1 hurricane and is likely to make landfall on Long Island.

The storm is expected to affect coastal areas with dangerous storm surge, as well as heavy rainfall, dangerous surf conditions and widespread power outage.

Westchester and upstate areas could also be affected by heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Cuomo is also requesting President Joe Biden declare a pre-landfall emergency declaration, which would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance to New Yorkers in the aftermath of Henri and its impacts.

Cuomo said New Yorkers are no strangers to damage possible after dealing with hurricanes, having experienced it with Superstorm Sandy.

"Henri is set to be that level of storm," he said, adding that there was less time to prepare because of shifting models.

Cuomo encouraged residents to plan for power outages, stock up on necessary supplies and avoid flooding areas.

The emergency declaration ensures resources that are assigned for state use only are provided to local governments. It also suspends regulations that would impede a rapid and effective response during an emergency or disaster.

Five hundred National Guard troops have been activated for deployment to Long Island and the Hudson Valley to help localities with storm response efforts.

The New York State Emergency Operations Center will be activated Sunday morning with staff from multiple state agencies coordinating emergency response activities throughout the duration of the storm and its aftermath.

Con Edison said it has secured 1,500 mutual aid workers to supplement its own crews in restoring outages starting Sunday morning. The company said the storm's winds are likely to topple trees and branches onto overhead lines, causing customers to lose service.

It is setting up staging areas in New York City and Westchester County for personnel and equipment.

Depending on the severity of the storm, restoration could take multiple days, Con Edison said.