New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Saturday ahead of the nor’easter that’s expected to bring blizzard conditions.
“Once again, New York state is the crosshairs of a very dangerous, fast-moving, potentially life-threatening winter storm,” Hochul said at a news conference as she urged people to avoid travel.
Parts of the state, including NYC, could end up with well over a foot of snow as the storm barrels down Sunday morning into Monday afternoon. Long Island is expected to bear the brunt, but northern counties could also wind up “in the bullseye,” the governor said.
Hochul also warned that there could be flooding in coastal areas.
“This could be an historic storm and the vulnerability is great. The possibility of flooding is significant, so we’re encouraging people to vacate from those areas and be prepared for a very, very dangerous situation,” she said.
NYC is facing a blizzard warning for the first time since 2017, while it’s the first for Long Island since 2022, according to Hochul. Winter storm conditions will stretch through the entire region.
“We’re all New Yorkers. We think we can handle anything, but here’s the bottom line. You need to hear this from me, someone who’s been through more blizzards than any governor in the history of the state of New York. This is one to take seriously,” Hochul said.
The governor said she activated 100 members of the New York National Guard who will be staged across Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley.
She also said she was in contact with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to coordinate the emergency response.
More from CBS News