Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator James Nolan 15th District: Prepare for Major Winter Storm Now!

 

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT
FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022

*WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Heavy snow expected. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph. Near blizzard conditions are possible for a period on Saturday.  *WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York.  *WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Saturday.  *IMPACTS...Travel will become be very difficult. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.  *PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

County emergency responders recommend residents set aside several days’ worth of non-perishable food, water and medicine, and keep on hand other critical supplies like flashlights and batteries in case they are stuck in their homes without power. Residents should also have a “go-bag” ready in case they are asked to evacuate on short notice during an emergency.  It is recommended that residents create an emergency preparedness kit that includes:

• Gallon of water per person per day
• Three-day supply of canned, packaged or other shelf-stable, ready-to-eat food
  • Foods that can be stored include ready-to-eat canned meats and fish, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal and granola, peanut butter, nuts, crackers and canned fruit or juice
• Manual can opener and eating utensils
• Flashlights and batteries
• First aid kit
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio

Ahead of any major storm, residents should make a list of their medications, charge their cellphones and laptops and fill their vehicle gas tanks. It is also a good idea to have some masks, wipes and hand sanitizer in your go-bag. Residents with oil tanks at home should top off their tanks and tighten the cap to prevent spills. Above-ground tanks should also be strapped to a secure fixture to prevent tipping.   

Food and safety is essential during and after any power outage or emergency, and can be prolonged with the steps below:

• Before the storm hits, set your refrigerator to the coldest setting to keep food fresh longer if you lose power
• Keep your refrigerator closed as much as possible. Do not assume refrigerated foods are safe.
• Foods that are fully frozen are safe to use
• Foods that have warmed to room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. When in doubt, throw it out
• During a prolonged outage, discard these foods if they were not kept below 45 degrees Fahrenheit:
  • meat, poultry, seafood, cold cuts, hot dogs, eggs, cream, sour cream, yogurt, milk, custards, puddings, soft and shredded cheeses, cut fruit, cooked vegetables, pasta, casseroles, unbaked cookie and bread dough, gravy, creamy salad dressings, fish sauces, hoisin sauce, opened spaghetti sauce and garlic in oil
• After disposing of spoiled food, disinfect the refrigerator to avoid further contamination.
• Discard any cans of food that are rusted, dented or open
• Storm clean-up can produce a great deal of garbage, which invites insects and rodents. Store your garbage in watertight, rodent/insect-proof containers with tight-fitting covers

Motorists should stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary during inclement weather. Residents should avoid unnecessary travel during severe storms. 

Residents and business owners with generators are reminded of the following safety tips:

• Never run a generator in a basement, garage, porch or carport. Generators produce carbon monoxide that can quickly be lethal indoors. Only operate a generator outdoors and away from open windows.
• Do not exceed the rated capacity of your generator. Overloading your generator can damage it and any appliances connected to it. Fire may result.
• If your generator has a detachable fuel tank, remove it before refilling. If this is not possible, shut off the generator and let it cool before refilling.

Families should also consider what additional preparations to make for people with special needs or who care for the elderly, infants or pets. They should also plan for how they will communicate if local phone service is not available or is overwhelmed by high demand.

Power outages and loss of service can be reported as follows:

• For Con Ed call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) or go to https://www.coned.com/
• For NYSEG call 1-800-572-1131 or go to https://www.nyseg.com
• For Verizon, you can call 1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966), sign in to your My Verizon Account for service alerts or contact them through Facebook Messenger or go to www.verizon.com
• For Altice (Optimum) call 1-866-950-3278 or go to https://www.optimum.net/support/outage

​Utilities recommend you switch off or unplug electrical appliances to avoid potential damage to the appliances when power is restored. Leave at least one light switch in the on position to alert you when power has been restored.

Practical tips on these and other topics can be found at: http://keepingsafe.westchestergov.com/be-prepared and www.ready.gov.