The Greenburgh Police Department has received notification from the Westchester County Office of Emergency Management that Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to impact Westchester County starting late Friday night September 5 through Saturday, September 6. The National Weather Service has predicted that this storm will bring between 3" and 6" of rain and gusty winds to our area. The heaviest rainfall is expected to occur between Saturday afternoon and evening with accumulations of up to 2" per hour possible. Localized flooding is a concern throughout the county especially in those low lying areas normally prone to flooding. The wind is also expected to cause sporadic power outages throughout the county. In preparation for this weather event, Con Edison has called in additional work crews from New Jersey and other states. The Police Department will have additional personnel on duty tomorrow as well as volunteer members of the Town's Community Emergency Response Team and Auxiliary Police to assist, if necessary, with traffic direction at road closures and where signals are not functioning as well as with evacuations should this become necessary. Residents should stay indoors curtailing all travel especially during the height of the storm. As with any major weather event, residents should ensure they have a safety kit on hand that includes flashlight(s), fresh spare batteries, and a battery powered radio. In the event a power outage is experienced that lasts for more than a few hours, it is also a good idea to have a supply of bottled water on hand as well as canned and dried foods and a manual can opener. Rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water for each person in the household per day. If you experience a power outage notify Con Edison at 1-800-75-CONED (26633). Do not call 911 unless you have a real emergency. You should also unplug or at least turn off, computers, TVs, VCRs and other sensitive appliances. Also turn off all lights in your home but one, so you will notice when utility power is restored. Heat producing appliances such as electric irons should also be unplugged to prevent fires should no one be home when power is restored and when it gets dark, use flashlights. Avoid using candles because of the fire risk. Listen to your local radio station for updates using your battery-powered radio. If you must venture outside, avoid downed and dangling wires and flooded areas. Never attempt to move or touch a wire with any object. Downed wires should be reported to Con Edison at their 1-800 number and to the Greenburgh Police Department at their general business number 682-5300. Please do not contact the police using 911 unless you have a real emergency so as to keep these lines available for emergency use. John A. Kapica, Chief of Police
