State of Emergency Declared in Northern Westchester
The city of Peekskill and towns of Yorktown and Ossining as well as the villages of Ossining and Croton have declared a state of emergency for each of their communities.
The Village of Croton on Hudson issued the state of emergency at noon and it is expected to run until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28.
The Ossinings jointly proclaimed the state of emergency which began at 7 p.m. and did not designate an end time. Yorktown also classified its township as being in a state of emergency from 9 p.m. tonight until 9 a.m. Sunday morning. For Yorktown the ending time is subject to change based on weather conditions.
Peekskill called for a state of emergency to begin at 10 p.m. and did not indicate and end time.
Under a state of emergency all vehicles, except emergency vehicles, must stay off the roads.
“We hereby direct the police department, fire department, department of public works, emergency medical services, and office of emergency management to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure and other such emergency assistance as deemed necessary,” a statement released by Croton stated.
“This action is being taken to insure the safety of all town residents and emergency personnel during the time the hurricane is expected to pass through our area,” Yorktown Supervisor Susan Siegel said.
Yorktown has been proactive with the storm. On Friday the sewer treatment plant on Green Wood St. piled sand bags against the entrance ways to ensure there would not be flooding, such as the facility experienced during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
It also moved its generator to the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center on Friday so the building can be used as a shelter. Today at 4 p.m. the town opened the shelter and it currently has at least one community member staying there to remain dry.
Peekskill has opened up an emergency shelter on the Elm Street side of Peekskill High School.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.