State of Emergency: Local Municipalities Prep for Storm

As of 4:30 p.m., Governor Cuomo has for the state of New York in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. Local officials, police and public works departments have already been working throughout the day – and week – to get ready, however, in hopes of limiting potential damages and dangers cause by the storm.

As of Thursday morning, Hurricane Irene was near the Florida Keys, were at 8 a.m. she was producing 115 mile-per-hour winds, putting the storm’s status at a Category 3 hurricane.

Based on the National Hurricane Center’s estimated track, Irene is expected to be just off the North Carolina coast by 2 a.m. Sunday with estimated winds at that time around 105 miles per hour. Recent models are suggesting that Irene will take a slightly more westward track from there, and graze the North Carolina coast. Latest predictions estimate that the hurricane will be over Philadelphia around 2 p.m. on Sunday, although already weaker at that time, with winds around 85 miles per hour (the more land Irene goes over, the weaker she will be). When she does eventually hit New York, estimated maximum wind speeds for the state are forecasted between 70 and 90 miles per hour.

With many of the specifics involved with Irene still very much uncertain – when she will hit, how hard, where – local municipalities are taking no chances, and for the last couple of days have been tracking her every move and preparing for the worst case scenario.

“The Village Department of Public Works has been preparing for this storm since last week,” said Tuckahoe Mayor Steve Ecklond earlier today. “We have been clearing out catch basins and storm drains for better rain flow. We have been trimming some loose tree branches in anticipation of high winds. We have secured any untethered items in our parks and village properties that would also be casualty of extreme winds. All in all we have and will continue to make every effort to safeguard the Village throughout this event.”

In Bronxville, a , and all equipment and staff are being held at ready in anticipation for the storm.

“We’re always monitoring the situation,” said Superintendent of Bronxville’s Public Works Department Rocco Circosta. “We continue to get notifications via the Westchester County Office of Emergency Management Center as it develops. With regards to preparing, we are evaluating all our equipment, making any repairs, making sure our chainsaws, pumps, generators are all operational.”

Although heavy flooding in the areas near the Bronx River are expected, Circosta admitted that his biggest concern was high winds, which could cause major problems throughout the entire Village.

“Our primary concern is with the winds,” Circosta said. “We have quite a few trees in this community, and we’ve got a saturated soil because of the heavy rains we’ve had over this past month. Winds are crucial because trees come down, they’re on wires and then we get power outages. And that affects everybody.”

Despite the growing concern and number of alerts on the part of local and state officials Thursday, local residents did not seem overly worried as of this afternoon, although certain precautions have already been made.

“I think it’s too early to tell,” said Bronxville resident John Clay. “We’ll see what happens. I’m not too worried about it. I’ve already got all my stuff planned. I have my generators, so I’m all set.”