City and county under NYS state of emergency due to winter storm

ROCHESTER, N.Y. The entire Empire State is in a state of emergency, which includes Monroe County and right here in Rochester.

The county says the wind and the flash freezing are going to make handling the storm challenging.

“The rain we get tonight will freeze tomorrow morning,” Monroe County executive Adam Bello said during an emergency press conference Thursday. “It’s going to create extremely dangerous traveling conditions as the salt on the roads wash away with the rain. That’s what makes this difficult to respond to.”

It will be a challenge to keep up with, but don’t panic. Monroe County plans to have crews out around the clock.

“Salt trucks will be out and plows will be out when it snows,” Bello added.

This storm is a mix of ingredients here, the wind, rain, and of course snow. Wind speeds will be significant enough that you might lose power, and it could be for a longer period of time. High wind will make it difficult for crews to reach power lines.

“Linemen can’t begin working to restore that lost power until the winds die down,” Bello said.

“Gas and electric, they’ve brought in as many crews as they can give staffing issues across the state,” Monroe County Emergency Manager Tim Henry said.

People were out shopping Thursday in preparation to be stuck at home. It was a mix of food or supplies to stay warm and safe if the power does go out.

“I don’t want to go out tomorrow how about you? No, we don’t want to do tomorrow,” Willie Mae Patterson and Ann Wallner said in unison. We found them shopping at the Big M in Gates prepping for the storm and the holiday.

“I bought some cold cuts and some finishing touches for my Christmas dinner,” the pair added.

News10NBC will be tracking the storm and will have the very latest for you on air and online.