Hochul Declares a State of Emergency

New York governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in NY State early this morning as the Hudson Valley and NYC along with Long Island received a torrential and steady downpour last evening as the remnants of Hurricane Ida slammed into the region. 

By the early hours of Thursday, the entirety of New York City and the Hudson Valley were under a hazardous weather watch in one form or another, with parts under a flash-flood warning and others under a flood warning.

"Earlier tonight I declared a State of Emergency in New York State within the counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester in response to major flooding due to Tropical Depression Ida.

"Torrential rainfall has resulted in flash flooding, power outages, travel disruptions and (the) damage in impacted areas (is) posing a threat to public health and safety. I am directing State agencies, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, and others to take appropriate and immediate action to help respond and recover from this disaster." Hochul said in press release early this morning.

"This State of Emergency eliminates potential hurdles for local response activities and provides the necessary tools to make sure New Yorkers can quickly and safely recover. I encourage New Yorkers in these affected areas to please pay attention to local weather reports, stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel during this time."