'I can still see the space filling up with water.' New Yorkers and City agencies prepare for nor'easter
Farrell says agencies like Con Edison, MTA, NYC Parks and more are in place and ready for the storm. With a nor'easter this early - just a few days after fall - it may not be the last one.
With heavy rain, wind, and flooding expected for this weekend, it's not just city agencies getting ready – it’s the residents too.
Valeen Bhat, founder and CEO of Private Picassos in Clinton Hill, says any chance for flooding in the forecast takes her back to October of last year, when flooding put her out of business for weeks.
“I still can see the space filling up with water and the panic of it," said Bhat.
Now she has a routine between makeshift flood barriers, sandbags, clearing drains and flood sensors.
“If water were to touch it, it'll start making that, like, piercing, beeping noise when you're here. But it also sends a push notification to my phone and to my email," said Bhat.
It's the kind of preparedness New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell is encouraging.
"We plan for the worst-case scenario. And then, you know, we always hope for the best," said Farrell.
Farrell says agencies like Con Edison, MTA, NYC Parks and more are in place and ready for the storm. With a nor'easter this early - just a few days after fall - it may not be the last one.
“We saw all the flash flooding this summer. We had the first earliest heat activation in May. Now we're having an early nor'easter. So, you know, sometimes we've said it's the new normal. It's really where we are. And so, we plan for everything and just adjust as needed," said Farrell.
