Agency Updates

NYC Severe Weather Agency Updates

 

NYC Emergency Management works closely with City agencies to coordinate preparation for inclement weather. Below is a list of agency preparations.

NYC Emergency Management

  • NYC Emergency Management has issued a hazardous travel advisory, in effect through Monday.
  • NYC Emergency Management will open the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Sunday afternoon to coordinate any response to potential impacts associated with the forecast.
  • NYC Emergency Management is hosting daily conference calls with City and state agencies to coordinate the City’s preparations for the weekend’s storm.
  • NYC Emergency Management continues to update elected officials, private and nonprofit partners and the public with the latest information regarding the winter storm.
  • NYC Emergency Management has issued Advance Warning System (AWS) messaging to partners organizations that service New Yorkers with disability and access and functional needs.
  • NYC Emergency Management has activated the Tow Truck Task Force, a multi-agency unit assigned to mitigate vehicles blocking roads for critical response vehicles.

Department of Sanitation

  • The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is readying 695 salt spreaders across the five boroughs. DSNY will activate PlowNYC and will dispatch 1600 plows if more than two inches of snow accumulates on roadways.
  • DSNY will assign 2,300 workers to split 12-hour shifts through Monday.

Department of Transportation

  • Alternate Side Parking regulations are suspended through Tuesday, March 5 for snow removal. Parking meters remain in effect.
  • DOT’s Bridges Division will pre-deploy crews to East River Bridges.
  • Crews will pre-salt and monitor Municipal Parking lots, and will address conditions as needed.
  • OT’s Arterial, Parking and Citywide Concrete Units, will pre-salt and monitor pedestrian overpasses, muni lots and step streets.
  • Crews from JC Decaux have pre-treated all city bus shelters and are monitoring bus shelters citywide.
  • DOT’s Ferry Division will pre-salt and clear walkways at the ferry terminals.
  • The Staten Island Ferry is expected to operate on a normal schedule, but passengers are advised to allow extra time for travel.
  • DOT will monitor conditions on the citywide Transportation network at the Joint Transportation Management Center with State DOT and NYPD, and coordinate efforts to address any issues.

Department of Education

  • All NYC public schools are closed on Monday, March 4. Field trips and after-school activities are also canceled.

Economic Development Corporation/NYC Ferry

  • NYC Ferry service is anticipated to operate on a normal weekend schedule. However, riders are advised to prepare for possible cancellations or delays. Please use caution on all landings and vessels and allow for extra travel time. Check the NYC Ferry app, website and social feeds for real-time updates. Riders can also sign up for route specific push notifications on the NYC Ferry app.

Department of Parks and Recreation

  • NYC Parks staff is actively prepping priority park properties—park perimeters and commuter hubs— today. To address critical locations tonight, staff will report for select overnight shifts. Staff will report at 5 a.m., Monday, prioritizing snow removal in the highest trafficked areas. Once park perimeter sidewalks and hubs are complete, interior pathways will be cleared.
  • NYC Parks staff is also supporting DSNY and PlowNYC.

NYCHA

  • The New York City Housing Authority will activate its situation room beginning at 7 a.m. Monday to coordinate any response to potential impacts in addition to its 24/7 heat desk and emergency services.
  • NYCHA’s development staff will report early to work to begin the snow removal process.

Department of Social Services

A Code Blue Weather Emergency notice is issued when the temperature is forecast to drop to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m., including National Weather Service calculations for wind chill values. No one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied. Should you see an individual who appears to be homeless and in need out in the cold, please call 311 and an outreach team will be dispatched to offer assistance. During Code Blue Weather emergencies, experienced outreach teams work to connect homeless New Yorkers with the following resources:

  • Shelters: During a Code Blue, shelter is available system-wide to accommodate anyone who is reasonably believed to be homeless and is brought to a shelter by outreach teams. Accommodations are also available for walk-ins.
  • Drop-in centers: All drop-in centers are open 24-hours per day, including when Code Blue procedures are in effect, and will assist as many people as possible for the duration of the emergency. Drop-in staff and the dedicated outreach teams they work closely with each day can also make arrangements for homeless individuals at other citywide facilities.
  • Safe havens and stabilization beds: Chronically homeless individuals may be transported directly to these low-threshold housing programs.
  • Street homeless outreach: Teams will contact vulnerable individuals on their Code Blue Priority Lists a minimum of once every four (4) hours beginning at 8 p.m. during Code Blue Alerts and once every two (2) hours beginning at 8 p.m. for Enhanced Code Blue Alerts to encourage them to accept services, including transportation to a shelter placement. The Department of Social Services coordinates borough-level Code Blue efforts directly with partner City agencies, including but not limited to NYPD, DSNY, and the Parks Department.

 

New Yorkers are also encouraged to download the Notify NYC mobile application, which is available for free download from iTunes or Google Play. Notify NYC is the City's free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can also receive phone calls, text messages, and/or email alerts about weather conditions and other emergencies. To learn more about the Notify NYC program or to sign up, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or call 311. You can also follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.