New York, Aug 22 (EFE) .- The governor of New York, Andrew Cuono, warned residents to stay at home in the face of the now storm Henri and warned that although it is no longer a hurricane, it is still a threat because It will arrive with strong winds and floods, which are being seen in some areas.
He indicated at a press conference that one of the areas that would be most affected by the floods is the Hudson Valley, in the north of the state, where Henri will impact after hitting Long Island, which will be the area most affected by the phenomenon.
Henri, en route to the northeast, whose winds lost strength overnight and was downgraded to a storm, continues its passage with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km / h) towards New York, where it will make landfall on Long Island.
If Henri strengthens again and makes landfall as a hurricane on Long Island, it will be his first since Gloria in 1985.
“Tropical Storm Henri is already causing problems on Long Island and New York City with heavy rain, flooding and downed trees,” he said.
He also warned that due to Henri’s slow pace the damage may be greater.
The storm has already caused the cancellation of 23% of flights at the La Guardia airport in New York, it was revealed at the conference.
Henri has already caused the overall cancellation of more than 1,000 flights, most at Newark Liberty airports in New Jersey, Logan in Boston and John F. Kennedy, according to ABC.
Meanwhile, the subway system, which runs through the five boroughs of New York City, as well as the buses continue to operate normally, according to the data offered at the conference.
However, some train lines that travel to Long Island as well as upstate and Connecticut have been suspended.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is taking all necessary precautions to protect its network and prevent flooding, as happened with Sandy in 2012, which left several stations unusable, said that agency.
Cuomo, who will step down next Tuesday after resigning after being accused of sexual harassment in his work environment, also expressed concern about a 3 to 5 foot storm surge around Long Island and New York City, which was declared in a state of emergency by its mayor Bill de Blasio.
The governor thanked President Joe Biden for signing the emergency declaration he requested from the White House on Saturday, which gives him access to the disbursement of federal funds and help to correct the emergency.
“I appreciate the decision to issue a disaster declaration. I am directing our state agencies to deploy additional emergency response resources in areas that are likely to be affected by this storm,” he said.
In the wake of that statement, he ordered state agencies to deploy additional emergency assets as heavy rains, gusts of wind and storm surge impact areas of the central state.
On Saturday, Governor Cuomo activated 500 National Guard soldiers for deployment to Long Island and the Hudson Valley region to assist localities with response efforts and they stand ready to help where needed.
Biden also declared a state of emergency for Connecticut.
The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.
(c) EFE Agency
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