Empire State Today

Clean-Up and Recovery Continues Throughout the State, As Responding Agencies Keep Close Eye on Weather Forecast for Thursday Through Monday

Potential for Additional 2-3 Inches of Rainfall Thursday into Friday Could Impact Areas Currently Recovering from Recent Flooding

Flood Watch in Effect Through Thursday for Parts of Clinton, Essex, Lewis, Cayuga, Oswego, Ontario, Wayne, Hamilton, Herkimer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the reopening of key Hudson Valley roads that had been completely or partially closed following the historic rainfall and devastating flooding that impacted New York State on Sunday and Monday. Thanks to around-the-clock work by State Department of Transportation crews and contractors, portions of U.S. Route 9W, U.S. Route 6, and State Route 32 are expected to re-open for vehicular travel today. Repair work included tree and debris removal, roadway paving milling and paving where needed, and drainage repairs. Additional roads are expected to re-open in the coming days as clean-up and repair efforts continue.

Additionally, Governor Hochul urged New Yorkers to prepare for the possibility of additional severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall this week, particularly on Thursday and Friday. While expected rainfall totals will not reach the amounts New Yorkers experienced earlier this week, an additional two to three inches of rain expected could cause additional flash flooding in certain areas with saturated grounds and higher water levels. Governor Hochul directed State Agencies involved in this week’s storm response to stay alert and prepare for additional impacts.

“Nobody weathers a storm like New Yorkers, and the quick recovery from this week’s historic flooding makes that increasingly clear,” Governor Hochul said. “While there is still a long way to go, getting these Hudson Valley roads back up and running is a huge step that was made possible by the tireless efforts of our highway crews and contractors working around the clock. I want to send my sincere thanks to everyone who has pitched in to help their fellow New Yorkers get through this historic storm.”

Roadways expected to reopen today include:

• U.S. Route 6/202 (Bear Mountain Bridge Road) will reopen in both directions between State Route 9D and U.S. Route 9 in the Town of Cortlandt, Westchester County. Motorists will not be able to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge into Rockland County.
• U.S. Route 9W will reopen in both directions with reduced lanes in the areas between Cornwall and the Stony Lonesome Gate entrance to West Point/Mountain Ave. This encompasses 4.8 miles of roadway including the major entrance into West Point from the north, restoring the main commuter route.
• State Route 32 at Trout Brook Road, Town of Woodbury, Orange County will reopen with one lane of alternating traffic via a temporary signal.

The following roadways have reopened:

• State Route 104 in Oswego County has reopened with alternating one-way traffic
• Route 30/28N from Blue Mountain Lake to Long Lake in Hamilton County has reopened
• Route 30 from Long Lake (Hamilton County) to the Franklin County line has reopened

The State Department of Transportation has more than 3,480 supervisors and operators available statewide, including more than 540 in the Hudson Valley region. Staff are actively assessing damage and working to get state roads back open as quickly as possible. The State Route 9W bridge over the Popolopen Creek in the Town Highlands, Orange County, is currently closed while state engineers continue to assess the damage and develop a strategy to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “I am extremely proud and endlessly grateful to the dedicated women and men of the New York State Department of Transportation who are working tirelessly to get our state’s transportation infrastructure back open. And while there is still a significant amount of work ahead, I have no doubt that they are up to the challenge and will continue to put in the effort until the job is complete.”

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “While this next system is not expected to be as intense as what we saw earlier this week, flash flooding continues to pose a real threat to New Yorkers given how saturated the ground remains. As our team continues to work hand in glove with our local partners on recovery operations, it’s critical New Yorkers in the eastern portion of the state do not let their guard down in the coming days and take the steps necessary to keep themselves and their households safe.”

Between Sunday and Monday, more than eight inches of rain was reported in parts of the Mid-Hudson Region (Orange County) and more than five inches of rain in the Finger Lakes Region (Ontario County). Between Monday and Tuesday, parts of the North Country (Hamilton County) saw several inches of rain in a short period of time. This rainfall caused devastating flooding that closed roadways and damaged infrastructure across impacted regions.

The State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) has Office of Emergency Management, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and Disaster Recovery field teams conducting damage assessments and safety inspections in impacted communities. Governor Hochul and DHSES have been in contact with federal officials about the need for a Major Disaster Declaration to provide federal reimbursement to local governments.

A Flood Watch is currently in effect through Thursday for all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Lewis, Cayuga, Oswego, Ontario, Wayne, Hamilton, Herkimer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties. For a complete listing of weather alerts and forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website at alerts.weather.gov.

New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for the State’s emergency alert system by subscribing to NY Alert at alert.ny.gov, a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.

Current Road Closures

Hudson Valley:

• State Route 218 is closed in both directions between Storm King Highway and Town of Cornwall/Town of Highlands line, Town of Cornwall, Orange County
• Palisades Parkway is closed in both directions Between exits 14 and 18, Town of Highlands, Rockland County
• U.S. 6 is closed in both directions between NY 293 and Palisades Parkway ramp, Woodbury, Orange County
• U.S. 9W is closed in southbound direction north of NY 218 Exit, Highlands, Orange County
• U.S. 9W is closed in both directions at Old State Rd, Highlands, Orange County
• U.S. 9W is closed in northbound direction at Bear Mountain Circle, Highlands, Orange County
• U.S. 9W is closed in both directions between Seven Lakes Drive and S Entrance Road, Stony Point, Rockland County
• U.S. 9W is closed in both directions at Mine Dock Rd, Highlands, Orange County
• Palisades Parkway is closed in southbound direction between U.S. 9W; U.S. 6; end route and Exit 15; Old Gate Hill Road; County Route 10, Highlands, Orange County
• State Route 980U is closed in northbound and southbound directions between U.S. 9W and State Route 218, Highlands, Orange County
• State Route 292 is closed in both directions between State Route 292; State Route 311; State Route 55, Patterson, Putnam County
• State Route 17 is closed in eastbound directions on ramp to exit 130A, Woodbury, Orange County
• State Route 448 is closed in both directions east of North Broadway, Mount Pleasant, Westchester

The Adirondacks

• State Route 28N is closed in both directions from Long Lake to the Essex County Line, Hamilton County

Central New York

• State Route 69A is closed in both directions between State Route 69 and U.S. Route 11 in Parish, Oswego County

Severe Weather Safety Tips

Disaster Supplies

• Have disaster supplies on hand, including:
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Non-electric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Checkbook, cash, credit cards, ATM cards

Flash Flooding

• Never attempt to drive on a flooded road. Turn around and go another way.
• If water begins to rise rapidly around you in your car, abandon the vehicle immediately.
• Do not underestimate the power of fast-moving water. Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float your car, and water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.

Lightning

• Follow the 30-30 rule: If the time between when you see a flash of lightning and hear thunder is 30 seconds or less, the lightning is close enough to hit you. Seek shelter immediately. After the last flash of lightning, wait 30 minutes before leaving your shelter.
• Lightning hits the tallest object. If you are above a tree line, quickly get below it and crouch down if you are in an exposed area.
• If you can't get to a shelter, stay away from trees. If there is no shelter, crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.

For more information on personal preparedness and how to stay safe during severe weather, visit: dhses.ny.gov/safety-and-prevention.

Original source can be found here.