Chair Ariola asks Farrell about Local Law 60 flash flood evacuation guidance
Chair Ariola thanks Farrell for coordinating the nor'easter response and acknowledges Council Members Maloney and Sanchez. She asks whether NYCEM developed guidance under Local Law 60 for safe evacuation before flash flooding, and Farrell describes Red Cross call-downs and overnight safe locations opened in schools during summer flooding.
Thank you so much, Commissioner, and thank you for the coordination over this nor'easter in my district and in the coastal districts.
You really did an amazing job of putting together all the other agencies and making sure that everyone was safe.
And informed and the public was informed.
So we really thank you for that.
Just would like to mention that we have been joined by council members Maloney and Pierina Sanchez.
I am going to ask two questions regarding legislation and I'm going to yield to council member Brooks Powers because I know she has some questions specific to the Rockaway Peninsula.
So for NYSIM, with regard to Local Law 60 of 2025, NYSIM is required to develop guidance for facilitating safe evacuation before flash flooding emergencies.
Has this guidance been developed?
And if so, can you please describe the specifics for the committee?
Yes, so we definitely have guidance.
We happily this past weekend did not result in an evacuation situation, but, you know, nor we stirs can.
In addition, we have had several, as everyone knows, flash flooding events over the summer.
And so we have worked with our partners.
As we do our coordination, as you mentioned, we do things like a Red Cross call down in case we do need to look for hotel rooms.
We also partner, people may have seen over the summer, three times we opened
safe overnight locations in 51 schools, one in each district, in case people that live in basement apartments or in low-lying area need a place to go.
Several residents took us up on that, and that is something that we are codifying further.