REGIONAL EMERGENCIES
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had activated 100 National Guard members to assist in Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley – areas expected to bear the brunt of the heavy snow and coastal winds. The storm also forced the closure of the UN headquarters complex in Manhattan on Monday.
Parts of the Northeast could see up to 60cm of snow and wind gusts could reach 112kmh, raising the risk of falling trees and power outages, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In an update on Sunday, the agency said that despite its ongoing funding lapse, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster-response work continues uninterrupted, including staff travel, emergency operations, and critical assistance for people affected by active disasters, with life safety and property protection remaining top priorities.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a statewide emergency effective noon Sunday and urged residents to take the storm seriously. “People need to take this very seriously,” she told CNN.
Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. Just after 1.39am local time on Monday, nearly 80,000 customers were without power in the state of New Jersey, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.