Nyack Preps for Sandy—Sandbags, Hotline, Alerts

Check out the Nyack-Piermont Storm Hub: Everything Sandy

Update: The Nyack Dept of Public Works is out of sandbags

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Editor's Note: The following is from the Village of Nyack.

The National Weather Service is predicting forty eight hours of severe weather for Nyack and the surrounding areas starting Monday mid-day.  The Village of Nyack is making preparations to minimize inconvenience and damage, and maximize safety.

The Village of Nyack webpage will have regular updates.  That web address is nyack-ny.gov.  On that page you can also sign up for email blasts and NY Alerts, a system that has the ability to notify residents and businesses with phone calls, texts and emails.  We recommend that all residents sign up for both of these valuable notification systems. The Village will also update its hotline (845-358-5626) with important updates.

We ask that during the storm residents stay off the roads and at home unless travel is absolutely necessary.

Should there be downed wires, please stay away from the wire and call Orange and Rockland Utilities Emergency number immediately and follow instructions listed below.

A higher than normal tide is expected and the river will be dangerously rough.  No one should attempt to use the water for boating or any other activity. Those whose homes are located very close to the high tide line should prepare for tides that may prohibit leaving their home for the duration of the storm.  Make sure that necessary medical prescriptions are filled and that you have enough basic supplies on hand.

Simple common sense will help us get through this storm unscathed.  Reckless or thoughtless behavior puts everyone, including our Emergency Services personnel, at grave risk.  Please, be respectful of not only your own life, but theirs as well.  Unless absolutely necessary, stay off the roads and in your homes during the storm.

Nyack Village Hall will remain open and an operator will be available for phone calls.  In the case of a power outage, Village Hall calls will be rerouted to a manned Village of Nyack Cell Phone.

Sandbags are available at Nyack Public Works to Nyack residents only.  Nyack Public Works is located at 63 Catherine Street between Midland and 9W.  Orangetown Public Works has sandbags for residents of other parts of Orangetown (845)359-5100.

There will be free parking available in the Nyack Village lots for those requiring it.  Free parking will begin Sunday and continue, as of this time, until Wednesday morning. Parking enforcement will be suspended village wide for the duration of the storm with the exception of our alternate side of the street rules.  Residents MUST observe alternate side of the street rules to allow for safe passage of Emergency Vehicles. Vehicles not observing alternate side rules, if necessary and possible, will be towed.

If you have a storm drain in front of or near your home or business, please make sure that it is clear of leaves and other debris prior to the storm to allow for safe drainage of water into the storm drains.  This will alleviate flooding.

The County is preparing Emergency Shelters and as that information becomes available we will notify residents.  Storm updates and other pertinent information will be regularly posted outside Village Hall as well as on all forms of electronic media and, as need be, through NY Alerts.

To help its customers prepare to weather a storm, O&R offers these tips:

• For safety’s sake, don’t touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free 1-877-434-4100. Depending on the situation, you may also want to call your local police to divert traffic until an O&R crew arrives.
• Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with including puddles of water and fences. Supervise your children so that they are not in the vicinity and keep pets on a leash.
• If a fallen wire is draped over a car, do not approach the car and make rescue attempts. Remain a safe distance away, and try to keep the occupant of the vehicle calm. If possible, emergency personnel should handle the situation.
• Stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, manual can opener, baby supplies and pet food. Set your refrigerator and freezer controls to their coldest settings. Fill the bathtub with water.
• Have emergency equipment within reach — portable radio, flashlights, spare batteries, first aid kit, cell phone and important medications. Update your personal list of emergency phone numbers. Keep O&R’s toll-free number 1-877-434-4100 near the phone to report power outages.
• If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it or that someone else will report it. To be sure the outage is reported, please call O&R toll-free at 1-877-434-4100 to let O&R know what happened. The more information you can provide, the more O&R can help you.
• Remember, if the base station of your cordless phone plugs into the wall, your phone will be unusable during a power outage.
• If a family member relies on electrically operated medical devices, secure a portable generator or make alternate arrangements for care. O&R does not provide customers with generators.
• Keep at least a half-tank of gas in your car. Consider having extra cash on-hand, in case ATM machines don’t work.
• Listen for storm alerts on the radio. In case of power outages, O&R will keep the stations updated on repair progress.
• Learn how to manually open and close any electrically powered garage door, security door or gate.

For more information, visit O&R’s Storm Center at www.oru.com.

Key numbers:
For Emergency, always call 911
Nyack Village Hall 845-358-0548
Nyack Village Hall Hotline 845-358-5626
Orangetown Police Non Emergency Number 845-398-0483
Clarkstown Police Non Emergency Number 845-639-5800
South Nyack Police Non Emergency Number 845-358-0206
Hurricane Weather Update web address:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?5-daynl
Village Hall web address: http://nyack-ny.gov/