Preparedness urged for coastal residents as hurricane season approaches
At an event in Red Hook on Friday, residents were urged to take steps to ensure they are prepared as the city heads into peak hurricane season. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph Esposito appeared at the Red Hook Initiative, a community center, where they assembled Go Bags for NYCHA residents in the event of an emergency evacuation.
“We saw during Hurricane Sandy just how disruptive a major storm can be to this city,” de Blasio said. “Almost 3 million New Yorkers live in a hurricane evacuation zone, so it’s imperative that people prepare and make a plan for what you will do if you are ordered to evacuate your home.”
Peak hurricane season lasts from August to October. For the past six months, OEM has worked in partnership with the Red Hook Initiative to bolster emergency preparedness within the NYCHA community in Red Hook and equip residents with skills they need to protect themselves and their families, and organize their neighbors in the event of an emergency evacuation.
“Being prepared for a hurricane or any emergency is the best way to keep you and your family safe,” OEM Commissioner Joseph Esposito said. “Make an emergency plan with your family, and have a Go Bag packed with essentials you may need in the event that you have to leave your house in advance of a storm.”