Utility companies across the Hudson Valley are gearing up to respond to widespread power outages caused by the incoming storm.
Residents of Yorktown are among many who are concerned not only about the potential for nearly 2 feet of snow, but of the gusty winds that could knock down trees and power lines.
It was only a few months ago that Tropical Storm Isaias left
more than 60% of the town without power for days, and officials
are working to avoid that same fate this time around.
The Yorktown Highway Department says they will be out in
full force starting this evening clearing roads as quickly as possible.
But just like at the end of the summer, the concern is
keeping the lights on.
Strong winds and heavy snow are expected to cause blackouts, but today the town has a Con Edison
municipal liaison available for a quicker response.
The utility company is bringing in 225 additional workers to
help with possible outages.
Town officials say the best things to do are avoid parking
your cars on the roads tonight and stay indoors to speed up the cleanup.
Orange
and Rockland Utilities says it has hired 50
additional lineman to help repair damage and restore service. Tree removal
crews, damage assessment and customer service teams are also making
preparations to assist the community.
Meanwhile, the Yorktown Highway Department will have
50-to-60 plows covering 400 miles of roads this evening. They can clear the entire town in four hours at one-to-two
inches of snow per hour. "Neighbors are already
putting snowblowers out, they were getting them ready over the weekend, making
sure the generators are working. So we've been through this before. Just make
sure that you're safe, make responsible decisions, and just let our highway
department do the great work that they always do," says Yorktown
Town Supervisor Matt Slater.
It's all hands-on deck as the storm approaches. "We have
x-number of men and women who go out there and will work for 10, 12 hours at a
clip without a break when we need that," says Highway Department Superintendent Dave Paganelli.