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Q&A
Emergency planning for coastal storms and evacuations
2:32:18
ยท
179 sec
Council Member Ariola and Commissioner Iscol discuss NYCEM's planning for emergency shelters and evacuation routes, particularly in areas that have recently become evacuation zones. Commissioner Iscol outlines the agency's comprehensive approach to coastal storm preparedness.
- NYCEM has revamped its coastal storm plan post-Hurricane Sandy
- The agency focuses on improving sheltering operations and accessibility
- NYCEM conducts public communication efforts to ensure residents are aware of hurricane evacuation zones and proper communication channels
Joann Ariola
2:32:18
I think it's commendable that you even have that in place.
2:32:20
I think that's great because we don't know what the future holds, but you're preparing for it and that's good.
2:32:27
And I always say that, you know, NISAM is the little agency that has a really big job and you do your job.
2:32:33
So we really appreciate it and you've been working outside of your general mission for a very long time and you did an incredible job with that mission and I'm glad to see that you're back to emergency preparedness and doing what the actual meaning for the NISA is.
2:32:54
So we've spoken about emergency shelters, we've spoken about evacuation, you know, routes and things of that nature, and I just want to touch on because obviously my district is, the majority of it is an evacuation route and a lot of the districts that were not normally throughout the city have now become evacuation routes.
2:33:16
So what planning have you done for areas like that where you'll need places for people to go for a short period of time before they can get back into their homes?
Zachary Iscol
2:33:25
Yeah, so our most comprehensive plan that the city we have hundreds of plans for the city.
2:33:31
And one of the things that Christina just spearheaded is an amazing revamp of how we do all hazards management so that we're not just prepared for events that we know are likely to occur, but also any type of hazard that could impact the city, even those that are unforeseen.
2:33:48
Specifically as it relates to coastal storm evacuation and the underlying areas, there's been a lot of work that we as an agency in the city has done post Hurricane Sandy to revamp our coastal storm plan, looking at our sheltering operations, making sure that they are accessible, and certainly revamping the way that we do the hurricane evacuation zones.
2:34:08
And there's a lot of public communication that we do throughout the especially leading into hurricane season, to make sure that residents are aware of the zones, that they are tapped into the proper communication channels, and that we are working the timelines to make sure that we are safely able to evacuate those areas should the need arise.
Joann Ariola
2:34:30
Most of our questions were on outreach and such, you really answered it comprehensively in your testimony, and I was one of the people who received the notification via mail to join the ex, you know, NYC, Notify NYC, which I was already a member of.
2:34:49
But, so I think that a lot of the questions were answered in your testimony and I really do appreciate that because public awareness is something that everyone always talks about.
2:35:00
We don't have enough public awareness, but honestly sometimes people are, you know, I send out a notification, you know, in various ways and then people say, geez, I had no idea you were having that concert.
2:35:11
Why didn't you tell me?
2:35:12
You know, so I get your, I understand your task at hand.