Cuomo declares state of emergency for parts of NY, pleads for people to take warnings

NEW YORK, N.Y. (WHEC/AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued a state of emergency for parts of the state, imploring those in New York to take warnings seriously ahead of Hurricane Henri.

Cuomo declared a state emergency for Suffolk, Nassau, New York City, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Albany, Saratoga and Schenectady.

This will be the first hurricane to hit Long Island directly since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. That storm caused nearly a billion dollars in damage and killed 14 people.

In a press conference on Saturday, he told people to stock up and move to higher ground today, despite the lack of buildup because of the storm’s shifting track.

Hurricane #Henri could be the first hurricane to directly hit Long Island since the 1980s.

New Yorkers: Take this seriously.

Prepare TODAY for the storm’s expected landfall on Sunday.

Monitor your local forecast & stay safe.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 21, 2021

Five hundred National Guard troops will head to the New York City area to help with storm response efforts. Cuomo warns the state has not seen a storm this powerful since Superstorm Sandy back in 2012.

New York’s U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to FEMA Saturday urging them to get ready to quickly approve potential disaster funding and provide any and all assistance available. Both warn that millions of people could be without electricity for more than a week.

Service on some branches of the Long Island Rail Road, a major commuter rail system, will be suspended at midnight in eastern Long Island.

Cuomo also warned that heavy rains were expected to create problems far up into the Hudson River Valley.

Watch Cuomo’s storm briefing in its entirety in the video player below: