‘Historic’ Blizzard Pounds New York Area; Ny, Nj And Ct Declare States Of Emergency

ABC News 7 – by Dave Evans

NEW YORK (WABC) — Snow has started piling up in the New York area with the worst of it expected overnight. Meteorologist Lee Goldberg said the storm would build into a blizzard and dump up to two feet of snow on parts of the area. Here are the latest headlines:

NEW YORK
Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency and instituted a travel ban beginning at 11 p.m. in all 13 affected counties. Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced a local emergency and barred all non-emergency traffic from New York City roads starting at 11 p.m. He also announced that all New York City public schools will be CLOSED on Tuesday.  

The Port Authority announced it will also close all trans-Hudson crossings effective at 11 p.m. This includes the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing. On closed roads, only authorized emergency vehicles will be permitted.

All Metro-North and LIRR service will be halted at 11 p.m., and the New York City subway system will have limited service after 7 or 8 p.m. Buses will have chained wheels, and service will taper off after the evening commute. All mass transit will stop by 11 p.m. to comply with the travel ban. Service on the PATH rail system will also be suspended at 11 p.m., until further notice.

According to the MTA, this the first time the entire system has shut down due to a winter storm. The last shutdown was due to Superstorm Sandy, though there have been snowstorms that have essentially crippled the system.

A ban on tractor trailers for I-84 from border to border, the Long Island Expressway and I-287 began at 4 p.m. and Cuomo said anyone on the roads after 11 p.m. would be subject to a $300 summons. Additionally, thousands of plows are being brought in from upstate New York to aid in clearing and salting roads.

LONG ISLAND
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban on all Long Island roads beginning at 11 p.m. Monday and lasting until it is deemed safe. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed out. Additionally, the New York State Emergency Operations office is open in Hauppauge.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone warned of a hazardous and difficult commute during the afternoon hours, and advised commuters to get home as early as possible Monday with up to three feet of snow possible in some areas.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announced that due to the blizzard, the American Red Cross will open a shelter at 5 p.m. at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, located at 500 Leonard Boulevard in New Hyde Park.

Bellone said county crews will be working 12-hour shifts to keep the roads clear and passable. He said a conference call will be held Monday with individual towns to determine their needs during the storm.

NEW JERSEY
Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and ordered the early closing of state offices.

Road crews are salting major highways and speed restrictions are in effect. Speed is restricted to 45 mph on the entire stretch of the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. Ahead of the storm’s worst, many schools have also decided to end the day early.

New Jersey Transit says that it will shut down service starting at 8 p.m. Monday and that commuter trains won’t be restored until at least Thursday morning. Spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said that the decision was made because of safety concerns for riders and workers. All buses and trains will stop following their 8 p.m. departure Monday. Snyder says that bus and light rail may resume limited service on Wednesday morning depending on road conditions, but that trains won’t come back on line until at least Thursday.

Service on the PATH rail system will also be suspended at 11 p.m., until further notice.

CONNECTICUT
Gov. Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency and issued a statewide travel ban beginning at 9 p.m. Monday, and said there will be no transit bus service after 8 p.m. so buses don’t get stranded. He also said the state’s two utilities expect outages due to heavy winds.

The governor plans to activate the emergency operations center at 4 p.m. and have it remain open throughout the storm.

http://7online.com/weather/states-of-emergency-in-ny-nj-and-ct-as-snow-pounds-area/490122/