08/27/2011

MAYOR LEIGHTON'S ADDRESS ON CITY PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE IRENE

Mayor Thomas M. Leighton

Hurricane Irene Press Conference

8/26/2011

• Good morning
• By now, everyone should know that Hurricane Irene is slowly making its way up the Northeastern United States
• Everyone who lived through it has very powerful memories of Hurricane Agnes and the 1972 flood.
• Although there is no immediate cause for alarm, we wanted to notify the public of the precautionary measures that the city has taken and will take in the next 24 hours to minimize the risk of this storm
• DPW crews have removed debris from the concrete channel at Bowman Spring Run on S Empire Street
• Debris has also been removed from around and under the bridges at Solomon Creek
• The convergence of Mill and Laurel Run Creek has been cleaned of debris as well
• Crews are out as we speak and will remain out cleaning catch basins citywide
• The fire department, police department, and DPW will conduct hourly checks of the creeks and low-lying areas that are typically the most likely to experience flooding
• I have also ordered extra DPW, police, and fire personnel to work through the storm
• We stand here in front of the repaired Laurel Run Creek Wall
• My administration has invested almost $15 million in bridge and channel wall construction and flood protection systems from one end of the city to the other
• This investment is the result of a forward thinking approach to identify the city's most likely threats and implement measures to protect the city's residents and their property.
• So that on days like today, the people can feel comforted that we are as prepared as any city can be to face whatever storm is headed our way
• At this point, there is a strong possibility that the city will be hit with heavy rain and high winds late Saturday night into Sunday and early Monday.
• People should make sure that they have enough bottled water and food in their homes as well as batteries and flashlights should they lose power at any point during the storm
• We do not anticipate at this time having to order any type of evacuation
• People should stay tuned to their local news outlets, the city website, and the city Facebook page for important updates from the city regarding the storm
• Every family should take the time today to discuss their individual plan so that everyone knows what to do through the storm
• This is not the city's first storm. We've endured 3 significant flood emergencies since 2004 and 4 of the highest 50 river crests occurred during my administration
• We have designed a comprehensive emergency response plan for situations such as this and we have trained and retrained our emergency services personnel to implement it effectively
• I have met with both the police and fire chiefs, my senior staff and other department heads and we will remain in constant communication today and throughout the weekend
• We continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving storm and will adjust our response as needed
• We are ready and we are prepared.
• I'll take your questions now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

BACK

Printer Friendly Version

Share This On