Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Governor Cuomo has declared a State of Emergency for New York in prepation for the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy. He’s also asked President Obama for a pre-landfall disaster declaration, so the state can access funds and FEMA resources to prepare.
Why so soon? It mobilizes resources to local governments that otherwise are restricted to state use only. It also suspends regulations that would slow down a quick response.
Cuomo says it’s best the people, even New Yorkers not right on the coast, treat this storm seriously.
While they’re not common for New York, Cuomo points to the damage Hurricane Irene caused in several parts of the state last year. Sandy would make it two major storms in 14 months for New York. Flooding was a major problem in several areas as Irene barreled through.
"I think that memory is fresh in people's minds, they get it. I know I get it. We are very attentive; we've taken a lot of precautions already; we're mobilizing state agencies all across the state. I'm speaking with local officials all across the state,” Governor Cuomo said.
State officials were meeting again late Friday afternoon as they continued to fine tune their preparedness plan. Of course, NewsChannel 9 will bring you the latest updates from the Governor’s Office as they become available.
