Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul appeared on CBS 2 to update New Yorkers about the ongoing winter weather and the state’s response. During the interview, she discussed her main concerns regarding public safety as heavy snow affected large parts of New York.
Governor Hochul emphasized road safety, particularly with many people traveling after the Christmas holidays. “Basically I’m concerned about safety on the roads. We have so many people that have traveled to see loved ones over the Christmas holidays and they may be planning their return trip tonight or tomorrow morning. And I’m just urging everyone, if you can stay off the roads just a few more hours, delay your travel plans and allow our plows to get out there and do what they do. That’s my main concern,” Hochul said.
She noted that while residents are accustomed to snow, its sudden intensity can be disruptive: “If people are staying home, it’s just a volume of snow. We’ll be able to get through it. New Yorkers are tough. We’ve been through this before. But I’m just more worried about safety on the roads at this point.”
Hochul described the storm as a widespread event affecting Central New York, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and 35 counties in total. She highlighted her authority in declaring a State of Emergency: “My authority allows me to anticipate a serious crisis, real problems, and to be preemptive. And part of that is being able to declare a State of Emergency. And that State of Emergency gives us the flexibility we need to manage whatever comes our way.”
The governor explained how such declarations enable state resources—such as snow removal vehicles—to assist local governments: “For example, I’m from Buffalo, I’ve been through countless major blizzards and snow events that are paralyzing, and you want to be able to have State snow removal vehicles go on to local roads, but you can’t do that if there’s not a State of Emergency.” She stressed cooperation between state agencies and municipal governments across regions impacted by severe weather.
Addressing potential power outages caused by heavy snow or winds bringing down trees and power lines, Hochul stated: “That’s my other largest concern as someone who was a young mom in Buffalo and we had a blizzard that kept our power out for about a week… So what I know is to make sure that we have over 5,000 utility crews ready to be deployed if these power lines come down… So my number one concern if that happens is getting the power restored immediately.”
The governor concluded by affirming constant communication with utility companies in order to restore heat and electricity quickly should outages occur.
