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From: Webmaster
Date: 11/05/2012

Here's the most recent update from the Mayor's Office, via Andrew Olsen,
Brooklyn Director of the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit.

While not all of the information in this update is directly pertinent to Park
Slope or even Brooklyn as a whole, and some of it is repeated from previous
updates, we're including it in case you share it with others who may not have
received those updates.


Today Mayor Bloomberg visited Midland Beach in Staten Island to inspect the
damage from the storm and the extensive cleanup efforts the City has undertaken.
 There were more than 1,000 NYC Service volunteers out on the streets today
helping in our efforts to distribute food and supplies, clean up debris, and
other work.  This is in addition to the all the New Yorkers who are reaching out
to their neighbors on their own to lend a helping hand.
 
Here is the latest information for you to share with your constituents:
 
Staying Warm in the Cold Weather:
Anyone who needs heat should find shelter, whether at one of our city facilities
or with a friend or relative.
We have opened warming centers in every borough:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/warming_ctr.html
Today our distribution centers and volunteers have distributed thousands of
blankets.
Our shelters are also open for those who are seeking warmth.  The list of
shelters is here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/hurricane_shelters.html
We have buses running to take people to shelters tonight if they need a place to
stay warm overnight.  The bus pickups are listed here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/overnight_shelter.html
NYPD cars are patrolling areas without power and issuing notices over
loudspeakers letting people know how they can get to one of these centers.
Those who are using generators in their homes to run their heat should be very
careful to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.  Tips for smart generator use are
below.
 
Food, Water & Blanket Distribution Sites:
Today we had 12 distribution sites set up in the hardest-hit areas of the city. 
 
Food, water, blankets, baby formula, diapers, batteries and other supplies are
available at all sites.
These sites are staffed by over 1,000 NYC Service volunteers, as well as the
Salvation Army, and the National Guard.
The following items were distributed today:
600,000 meals to approximately 200,000 residents.
100,000 liters of water.
22,000 blankets.
27,000 bagels.
4500 boxes of diapers.
300 boxes of baby wipes.
5,000 batteries and flashlights.
800 toothbrushes with toothpaste.
100 cases of baby formula.
250 cases of garbage bags.
1,000 bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
75 cases of toilet paper, paper towels and tissues.
500 bottles of hand sanitizer.
500 bottles of hand soap.
500 ear muffs.
400 pairs of gloves.
5,000 hand warmers.
The details of these sites, including the exact locations and hours of
operation, can be found here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/foodandwater.html
The sites will be open from 12-4pm on Monday.
We will keep them operational for as long as is needed, and no one who shows up
for food and water will be turned away.
Each person will be able to take three meals and five bottles of water at these
sites. 
People should bring their own bags to carry their food and water.
We are going door-to-door in these areas to reach as many residents as possible
who are in need. 
Door to door volunteers are also distributing information about changes in
polling locations where applicable (see below).
 
Power:
As of this morning there are 145,000 customers without power, down from 194,000
yesterday and a peak of 750,000 during the storm.
LIPA has made some progress in restoring power to the Rockaways:
There are currently 19,000 customers in the Rockaways without power, down from
25,000 last night.
They have added more crews to their restoration efforts.
The City has provided emergency generators to hospitals, nursing homes, public
housing developments, and other facilities throughout the city, and will
continue to do so as we receive more.
Anyone without power who is using candles for light should be extremely careful
– do not leave them burning through the night and do not leave them unattended. 
We have responded to six fires started by candles this week.
In parts of Lower Manhattan, three fires occurred in homes where stoves had been
left on. People should make sure to turn off all appliances prior to return of
electrical power.
 
Trees and Debris:

17,615 tree service requests have been made (alerting us of downed trees or
branches).
Of these requests, 11,602 were for downed trees.
3,961 of these emergency tree conditions have been addressed (a mixture of trees
down, hanging limbs and limbs down).
 
Pumping:
A task force of city, state, and federal agencies has been hard at work pumping
the water out of tunnels, public housing buildings, and other critical
infrastructure.
This morning Navy and Marine “de-watering” teams came ashore on the Rockaways
and immediately began pumping water out of public housing developments on the
peninsula.
 
Schools:
Public schools will be open on Monday. 
However, 65 schools definitely will not open on Monday.  This includes:
57 schools in 40 buildings that sustained damage from the storm
On Wednesday the students from these 57 schools will attend class in alternative
sites.
8 schools where emergency shelters are located.
Fewer than 75 schools are still without power as of this afternoon, and that
number continues to drop.
We expect the vast majority of those will have power restored and be open on
Monday.
Any school that does not have power will not be open – this info will be
available on NYC.gov and 311.
Some school buildings may not have heat tomorrow – parents should dress their
children in warm clothes.
Note that Tuesday is Election Day and schools are closed that day.
We are conducting extensive outreach to parents through robocalls, full-page ads
in Monday’s newspapers, as well as informing media outlets.
We currently expect that 96% of school buses will be running on Monday morning,
though there may be delays in pickups due to continuing cleanup on the roads.
A reserve of substitute teachers has been called up to ensure that all
classrooms are covered.
To get all the latest information about schools for the upcoming week you can:
Visit nyc.gov/schools
Call 311
Text the words “nyc schools” or “escuela” to 877-877
 
Election Day:
Tuesday is Election Day and there is a plan in place to ensure that all New
Yorkers will be able to vote.
Due to storm damage 61 pollsites cannot be used on Tuesday.  We have found
alternate locations for all of them.  Those 61 impacted sites include 3 in
Manhattan, 3 in the Bronx, 2 on Staten Island, 28 in Queens, and 25 in
Brooklyn.
The Board of Elections tells us that about 143,000 voters in all five boroughs
will be assigned to poll sites different from their usual sites.  Our NYC
Service volunteers are letting many New Yorkers know about their temporary
polling places.
The list of poll sites will be available on the Board of Elections website
(http://vote.nyc.ny.us/) or http://whosontheballot.org/
New Yorkers seeking information about where to vote on Election Day will also be
able to locate their poll site by texting “NYCVOTES” to 877-877.  Spanish
speakers can text "DONDE" to 877-877 to receive prompts in Spanish.
 
Disaster Assistance Centers:
6 of these centers are open, including a new one that opened in the Bronx
today.
These centers provide information about applying for emergency social and
economic benefits.
The list of sites and hours of operation can be found here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/dasc.html
These facilities are operated by the City’s Human Resources Administration in
cooperation with FEMA.
 
Water:
New York City tap water is safe.
However water in Breezy Point is not potable and should not be consumed in any
way due to damage to the pipes.
Bottled water is being provided to Breezy Point residents.  That is what should
be consumed there.
For more information visit: nyc.gov/health
 
Volunteering, Donating, and Giving Blood:
Cash donations to support these and other efforts can be made through the
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.  Learn more here: nyc.gov/fund
Generally, cash donations are preferable to in-kind donations because the
logistics of collecting and distributing those supplies are complex.
The Mayor’s Fund has already over $13.6 million donated by more than 6,000
people.
Those who want to volunteer can visit NYC Service at: nyc.gov/service
Giving blood is incredibly helpful right now.  For more information visit:
nybloodcenter.org
 
Roadways:
Alternate side parking will not be in effect tomorrow (Monday).
With most mass transit resuming, we expect that the severe congestion of this
past week will start to lessen.
The 3-person HOV restriction on crossings into Manhattan expired Friday.
The Holland Tunnel is open with restriction. Details here:
http://www.panynj.gov/alerts-advisories/inclement-weather.html
The Hugh Carey Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Midtown Tunnel are still closed.
Meters are in effect.
 
Mass Transit:
Subways, railroads, and buses are operating on a modified basis. 
80 percent of the subway system, including service between Brooklyn and
Manhattan, has been restored.
The Staten Island Railway has resumed limited service.
LIRR and Metro North are running with modifications, with large parts of the
systems already restored.
Bus service is largely restored
Suspension of fares for MTA services is no longer in effect.  Customers should
expect to pay full typical fare.
All details on MTA service status can be found at: mta.info
Monday, starting at 6 AM, NYCEDC, Seastreak, and DOT are partnering to provide
temporary ferry service during the morning and evening rush hours tomorrow, from
the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, to Wall Street/Pier 11 and
East 35th Street.  Learn more. 
Staten Island Ferry service is running on its regular schedule.
The East River Ferry is running.
PATH service is still suspended as they continue to remove water from facilities
and fix damage.
NJ Transit services have been restored on a limited basis.  Details are here:
njtransit.com.
 
Public Safety:

The storm-related death count is 40.
Police are using the public address systems on department vehicles to inform
residents in neighborhoods still without electricity that there are heating
shelters available and how to get to them.
Crime during the week of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, from Monday, October
29th through Friday, November 2nd, declined in the City by 32 percent compared
to the same week the year before.
Thousands of police officers were deployed today to storm-impacted areas on
extended tours of duty to provide security and recovery assistance.
NYPD Critical Response Vehicles officers normally assigned to counterterrorism
duties escorted military vehicles delivering food and water to distribution
centers throughout the city.  They also helped the military with the delivery of
approximately one million meals yesterday.
NYPD officers delivered food and water to another 17 locations, many near public
housing that had been identified by the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau.
There were no hypothermia calls overnight. EMS call volume is average.
FDNY special units are staffing all designated Disaster Assistance Centers,
providing assistance as needed.  This includes in Rockaways where we are
assisting LIPA and NYCHA during power restorations involving high capacity
generators for some housing complexes.     
 
Health for the General population:

The City is tracking trends in health problems through electronic data from
hospital emergency departments. 
While health problems generally peaked immediately after the storm and are now
improving, the largest storm-related problem is people seeking medication
because of an interruption in supply. There was one reported emergency room
visit due to hypothermia on Saturday at noon, which was not life-threatening.
 
Cell Service:
Service continues to improve in the city, though interruptions remain in some
areas.
AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have all deployed temporary cell towers throughout the
city in areas that are still without power.
 
Building Inspections:
The Department of Buildings is inspecting 55,000 building in Zone A to ensure
safety for New Yorkers.
So far we have inspected 12,600 buildings.
Buildings will be tagged with one of three color placards to indicate their
safety:
Green: the building is structurally safe
Red: the building is not safe and may not be entered
Yellow: it can be occupied conditionally (i.e. one floor may be safe while
another is not.) These conditions would be explained on the placard.
Building owners can also self-certify with the Department of Buildings.
 
57th Street Crane:
The crane has been rotated and tethered to the building.
All buildings that have utilities restored on the blocks listed below can be
reoccupied:
Both north and south sides of West 56th street west of 7th Ave
South side of West 56th between 6th and 7th Ave
Both north and south sides of West 58th street  west of 7th Ave
North side of West 58 between 6th and 7th Ave
Both north and south sides of West 57th street west of 7th Ave
Broadway between West 56th and 58th Streets both east and west sides.
Vehicular traffic will be opened on both West 56th and West 58th streets and
Broadway tonight.
 
Support to Businesses:
We have put together a package of support for NYC businesses impacted by the
storm:
Emergency loans of up to $25,000 for small and mid-sized businesses that have
been interrupted as a result of the storm.
For larger businesses that were damaged, temporary City and State sales tax
deferment on materials needed for rebuilding.
For businesses displaced from their locations, we’re offering temporary office
space free of charge at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) for the next 30 days.  
The City has identified more than 100,000 square feet that will be made
available, including 40,000 square feet of city space at BAT and approximately
50,000 square feet of space that private sector landlords have agreed to make
available.
 
Federal Disaster Assistance:
Anyone affected by Sandy – homeowners, renters, and businesses – can apply for
federal disaster assistance.
They can register at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the Federal Emergency
Management agency at 1-800-621-3362.
 
Healthcare Facilities:

Bellevue, New York Downtown, Manhattan VA, NYU Langone, and Coney Island
Hospitals have all been evacuated.
 
Shelters:
The number of shelters has been consolidated to 15, since many of the shelters
had just a few people staying in them. 
There are currently more than 4,800 evacuees in our shelters, supported by 1,300
staff.
Our shelter system will remain open until evacuees can return to their homes or
find short-term housing.
A full list of shelters can be found here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/hurricane_shelters.html
 
Parks & Beaches:
75 percent of parks have now been re-opened to the public.
15 recreation centers, 16 nature centers, 12 concessions and 1 cultural
institution (the Cloisters Museum) will remain closed to the public until
further notice.
Because of sewer system discharges during the hurricane, no one should go in the
Hudson or East Rivers, New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay or Kill Van Kull, or on them
in a canoe or kayak or for wind-surfing, until further notice.
Details on park closures can be found at: nyc.gov/parks
 
Construction:

We have lifted the ban on exterior construction work that we imposed before the
storm.
 
Sanitation:
The Department of Sanitation is collecting garbage
They are not collecting recycling.
 
Reporting and Handling Conditions:
911 should only be used in case of emergencies.
To report other conditions such as fallen trees and sewer backups, please use
311 Online, text 311 at 311-692, or call 311.
Fallen trees are incredibly dangerous.  Anyone who sees one should report it
immediately.  No one should try to cut down or move damaged trees themselves.
Power outages and live wires should be directly reported to Con Ed
(1-800-75-CON-ED) or LIPA (1-800-490-0075).
Live wires are also extremely dangerous.  No one should touch them or be near
them.
 
Health and Safety Information:
Any food – including packaged food – that was touched by flood water should be
thrown away.  The flood water may contain sewage or other contamination.
Other items that have been touched by flood water should be cleaned and
disinfected.  This should be done as soon as possible to prevent mold growth.
Tap water is safe to drink (except in Breezy Point).
Do not use generators or grills indoors.  Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious
threat when these devices are used indoors.  They should only be used outside
and kept away from windows and vents.
Everyone should have and use battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms. They
should test the batteries if possible.
If someone experiences sleepiness, dizziness, headaches, confusion, weakness or
the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, they should immediately seek fresh air and
call the poison control center at 212–POISONS (212-764-7667.) They can also call
911, since poisoning is life threatening.
Important guides on carbon monoxide poisoning and food safety can be found at
nyc.gov/health.
 
Staying Informed
For the latest updates, New Yorkers can:
Visit NYC.gov
Follow @nycmayorsoffice Twitter
Sign up for notifications from Notify NYC
 
Thank you, and we will continue to keep you informed.
 
Ryan Whalen
Chief of Staff to Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson