FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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September 12, 2023 — New York City Emergency Management announced today that it is continuing its monitoring and preparedness activities in advance of potential impacts from Hurricane Lee, a Category 3 storm currently located about 550 miles south of Bermuda. Although the storm poses no immediate threat to New York City, the agency is urging New Yorkers to remain alert and be prepared.
NYCEM is closely evaluating all possible aspects of the storm’s effects on New York City. At this time, no significant winds, rain or flooding is expected in NYC. However, indirect impacts, such as high surf and dangerous rip currents, are likely to develop along Atlantic-facing beaches tomorrow.
“We are closely watching Hurricane Lee and while its impact on New York City is still uncertain, these next few days are the best time to review your own emergency plans and supplies as we move through the peak of hurricane season,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “Our City’s emergency managers are fully engaged and coordinating across agencies to ensure the safety of our residents. But we can't do it alone. I urge every New Yorker to review your emergency plans, know if you are in an evacuation zone, and stay informed through Notify NYC. We all play a role in our city's resilience.”
As part of its comprehensive plan, New York City Emergency Management is intensifying its coordination efforts with partners in the public and private sectors. Coordinated interagency calls are being organized to brief these partners on emerging risks, review operational plans for a coastal storm, and to prepare them for potential escalation in their own response measures, if required. Specialized emergency assets and response teams are on standby, ready for rapid deployment as conditions warrant.
NYC Emergency Management advises all residents—especially those in flood-prone areas, as well as basement apartment dwellers—to undertake preemptive preparedness actions to prepare for this and future storms. The actions include staying informed about the latest forecast and updates from NYC Emergency Management, making a plan for how to stay safe if a storm impacts New York City, and having a Go Bag that includes food, water, first-aid supplies, and other essentials.
NYC Emergency Management issued the following guidance to help New Yorkers and their family stay safe, regardless of the storm's ultimate course:
KEY PREPAREDNESS TIPS
Additional Tips for Comprehensive Preparedness
Prepare for Outages
For more safety tips, visit NYC.gov/SevereWeather. Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels including Notify NYC, the City's free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. Sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency alerts and updates in your preferred language by visiting NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, or getting the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Press Office (718) 422-4888
STAY CONNECTED: Twitter: @NotifyNYC (emergency notifications)
@nycemergencymgt (emergency preparedness info)
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