September 26, 2005
Is NYC 'Cane Enabled?
With Katrina and Rita devastating parts of the country, New York City is either justifiably worried about what will happen if a hurricane strikes here or suffers from hurricane envy (we doubt the latter). It's a political issue, as Fernando Ferrer claims the city is currently be unprepared, and the Mayor
responds that, in fact, we are prepared. Those opinions are unsurprising as Ferrer will do anything to point out holes in the Bloomberg's administration (Of Course!) and the Mayor wants to seem competent (Of Course!). But it was scary this past Saturday when the NY Times looked at the city's evacuation plans and got officials, in spite of all their "planning," to admit that residents don't really know what they would need to do if there was an emergency. But you can find out what you need to do by checking out the city's hurricane page or calling 311.
The NY Times had a graphic of NYC's hurricane risk areas, plus the buildings that would be shelters. If only the Jets had included "Hurricane Shelter" as part of their West Side Stadium plan!
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I live on Staten Island and had noticed that suddenly the last year or so 'hurricane evacuation route' signs pointing the way to evacuation staging areas and shelters have popped up in a couple of places around the island. While I never heard any explainations, it was good to notice the city doing something to plan ahead for natural emregencies. Somehow if it were not a political issue, I doubt Ferrer's opportunistic mind would have even thought that far about the matter.
Jen, if theres ever a hurricane here you are more than welcome to stay at my place, I'm in Washington Heights, no chance of that flooding, and if we absolutely must leave the city, you can hop on the back of my motorcycle, I have an extra helmet and armored jacket.
Damn, that's creepy...
The signs are meaningless if the places they send you to do not have enough room, cannot accomodate parking, and would cause people to walk to buses et al. It was only AFTER Ferrer pointed out the holes in the plan that the city stated that they would put added buses on the road but this is not on the "plan" so is this really a plan at all?