BOL Letter To Westchester Residents

County Legislator Judy Myers, (D-Larchmont) send the following message on behalf of the Westchester County Board of Legislators:

August 26, 2011

Hurricane Irene Emergency Preparedness

Dear Neighbors,

As we await the probable arrival of Hurricane Irene, now is the time to make sure that our households are prepared for any emergency situations that might result from the storm: loss of utilities, flooding and so on. 

BEFORE THE STORM:

• Bring inside all loose objects from your yard, porch or terrace, including yard furniture;
• Secure  your doors and windows;
• Stay tuned to local news sources for word on the storm’s timing and severity, and possible evacuation orders;
• Check on relatives, friends and neighbors with disabilities or special needs;
• Make sure you have on hand plenty of bottled water (1 gallon per person, per day), nonperishable food and plenty of batteries for all of your flashlights and portable radios;
• Make sure valuables are secured in waterproof containers;
• Pack a “Go Bag” and bedding in case you need to evacuate;
• Keep friends and family notified of your whereabouts if you choose to leave your home;
• Make sure you have supplies for your pets, infants and chronically ill family members. 

For your convenience, I have included at the end of this message a list of useful phone numbers and a Go Bag packing list, as well as the link for the  hurricane update and preparedness  section of the County’s website.

We don’t yet know how hard the storm will hit our area, but we will all make it through comfortably if we stay informed, and be prepared for all contingencies.

A GO BAG SHOULD INCLUDE:

• Copies of your important documents in a waterproof and portable container (insurance cards, photo ID’s, proof of address, etc.
• Extra set of car and house keys
• Copies of credit/ATM cards and $50-$100 cash in small denominations
• Bottled water and nonperishable food such as energy or granola bars
• Flashlight
• Battery operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries
• Up-to-date medication information and other essential personal items.  Keep a list of the medications each member of your household taxes, why they take them, and their dosages, Also include all doctors’ names and phone numbers
• First aid kit
• Contact and meeting place information for your household and a small regional map
• Child care supplies

HELPFUL NUMBERS  

First and foremost --Do not call 911 for non-emergencies. An alternative contact number is United Way's 211 HelpLine 

ConEd power outage or gas and electrical service problems: (800) 75-CONED 
NYSEG electricity power outage: (800) 572-1131 (Check outages in your area.) 
NYSEG natural gas power outage: (800) 572-1121 
County Parkways: Call the county police at (914) 864-7700 for the latest county parkway conditions 
Local road conditions: Call your local police or highway department. Look up the numbers now and add them to you list. 
Bee-Line Buses: (914) 813-7777 for bus service status or (914) 995-7272 and press 2 at the prompt, for paratransit status 
Airline arrivals: Call the carrier directly or for real-time flight information go to the Westchester County Airport Web site 
Metro-North Railroad: (800) METRO INFO 
School closings and delays: WFAS storm center, News 12 or WCBS radio  
No heat or no hot water in rental apartments: Call your local building department or, during after hours, the local police department.

For more up-to-date information, visit: http://www3.westchestergov.com/news/2796-hurricane-update-and-preparedness

Judith A. Myers