Councilmember James Sanders, Jr. is warning residents of the 31st Council District of the harm Sandy could bring.
He urges the community to make all of the necessary emergency preparations in advance of the approaching storm, and to stay informed to city advisories.
“Current forecast models are predicting a storm unprecedented in the history of the tri-state area,” he said. “A mandatory emergency evacuation has been ordered for Zone A, which includes all of the Rockaways. Everyone should immediately get to safe ground and shelter with a relative or visit one of the emergency shelters. If you do stay in place, make sure you tie down and bring inside anything that can potentially fly around in severe wind. Have plenty of water, candles, and canned food. If you have a transistor radio, this is the time to dust it off. I urge all residents, especially those in flood prone areas like the Rockaways and Springfield Gardens, to take every possible precaution to protect yourself during this dangerous storm.”
Sanders also announced his intention to “shelter in place”, remaining in the Rockaways to ensure the delivery of emergency services to constituents who choose to remain in the zone or those who have no alternative. Chief of Staff Donovan Richards is planning to spend Monday night at the Aqueduct Emergency center to see to the needs of reidents who are evacuated.
“It is infinitely better to be over-prepared than under-prepared,” Sanders concluded. “We know that we are likely to see some damage from winds, downed power lines, and flooding. The bottom line is this: we can replace homes and shutters and windows. We can fix roads and rebuild bridges. But we cannot replace lost lives. We cannot return loved ones from the dead.”
