Taking on Henri’s challenge
State, region brace for worst, as residents asked to do their part
New York is bracing for a barrage, and the Capital Region is poised as well.
Hurricane Henri will hit the area Sunday, and with it will come flooding Sunday night, according to the latest weather predictions. While the government apparatus is gearing up, leaders say residents can play their part.
In Albany, Mayor Kathy Sheehan asked residents to do laundry and other water-heavy chores well before the storm.
“Anything you can do to help lighten the load into the water system if we do have heavy rain we really appreciate, because we’re trying to keep those storm sewers clear so we can take that capacity of water if we get heavy rain,” she said at a gathering Saturday. “I got all the laundry done today.”
She also warned new students who just moved into their college dorms not to treat floodwater like a water park. She’s seen them take inner tubes out
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to float on flooded areas.
“It is sewer overflow. That’s all I’ll say,” she said. “Stay out of the water.”
Flooded intersections are not safe to drive through, and also might not be safe for pedestrians, city officials warned. Sometimes manhole covers float off, leaving a hole unseen under the floodwater.
“If you see standing water in the roadway, just assume that it is” too high, Police Chief Eric Hawkins added.
Some areas are wellknown for flooding, including Hackett Boulevard.
“If it comes up, it comes up really quickly” there, said Water Commissioner Joe Coffey. “We are very concerned about people trying to drive through there.”
The Water Department will have two sewer jet trucks working Sunday afternoon to break up any clogs in the sewer system. Those who get backups should call 518-434-5300 to report it.
Until midday Sunday, meteorologists still aren’t sure where the storm will hit.
“It’s still a little bit of a tricky forecast,” said meteorologist Brett Rathbun of the National Weather Service in Albany.
Parts of the Albany area will be hit by bands of rain Sunday afternoon, he said.
“The steadiest, heaviest rain will probably arrive during Sunday night,” he said.
There is a flood watch in place until Monday morning, which warns that areas will get three to six inches of rain, with some local areas getting up to 10 inches.
Rain could fall fast, at 1 to 2 inches an hour. The watch is for Schenectady County, Albany County, Saratoga County and Rensselaer County, as well as Warren, Washington, Columbia, Ulster and Greene counties.
Henri is currently heading toward a landfall on Long Island, although that could change.
State’s actions
On Saturday afternoon, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared a state of emergency that includes the Capital Region. In the coastal areas, he asked people to evacuate so that they would not need to be rescued later. In a live briefing with other state officials, he said landfall is expected on Long Island at about noon and ending around 2 p.m..
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Cuomo said New York has more equipment and per- sonnel than ever before but it is up to the state’s resi- dents to make the right choice.
“If you know you are in an area that tends to flood, if you know you are in a tidal area that tends to flood, if you know you are in an area that is subject to tidal surges, get out of that area now please and get to another place of safety,” he said.
The state emergency was declared for: Bronx, Kings,
Nassau, New York, Queens,
Richmond, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland,
Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan,
Columbia, Delaware,
Greene, Broome, Chenango,
Otsego, Rensselaer, Schoha- rie, Albany, Montgomery,
Schenectady, Saratoga, and contiguous counties.
Canal, river levels dropped
The Canal Corporation is lowering the water level to winter levels in the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River, which could lead to vessels being grounded. Mariners who need a safe harbor were advised to move to the Waterford Flight, locks E-2 through E-6, by Saturday evening. The Canal Corporation will lift its movable dams Sunday, starting at 7 a.m., between Lock E-8 in Rotterdam and Lock E-15 in Fort Plain.
Docks and or other seasonal structures could be damaged by the significantly reduced water levels, and the Canal Corporation warned owners to take immediate action to protect their property. The Canal Corporation said it was creating additional storage capacity in two Oneida County-area reservoirs to hold the downpour. Also, Department of Transportation workers are clearing drainage systems along state roads in advance of the storm.
Albany’s preparations
Albany crews worked Saturday to clear catch basins in flood prone areas to help mitigate localized flooding, and the Department of General Services is preparing their crews to help with tree removal and road closures should severe flooding occur.
The city suggests that residents and businesses help prepare for the impacts by:
• Making sure catch basins are clear
• Keeping belongings off basement floors and other areas prone to flooding
• Clearing rain gutters and directing downspouts away from foundations
• Being alert and avoiding high water on roads
• Staying clear of and reporting downed power lines and trees
In Saratoga County, officials said the county’s fire departments with swift water rescue capabilities are on standby “should deployment be requested as part of the Statewide Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan.” The Swift Water Rescue team is made up of emergency services professionals from fire departments around the county specially trained in this type of water rescue.
Other steps taken
New York State Electric & Gas’ Mechanicville division is also getting ready. That division covers areas of Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington counties. The rainstorm is expected to miss Washington County, but gusts of wind are still possible there.
Crews are being staged in the area now. After the storm, their first priority will downed lines, which residents can report by calling 1-800-572-1131. After downed lines are dealt with, they will begin work to restore the electrical system.
Cuomo asked President Joseph Biden declare a pre-landfall emergency declaration. That would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide direct federal assistance to New Yorkers in the aftermath of Henri. Federal representatives including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also sent a letter urging FEMA to stand ready and assist as quickly as possible.
The storm comes 10 years after the major tropical storms Lee and Irene battered the region, wreaking havoc on Schoharie County and the community of Prattsville, damage which has taken years to recover from.