The Catskill Chronicle

NEW YORK STATE (October 28, 2012) – NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Commissioner Jerome M. Hauer today announced that the state’s Hurricane Sandy Helpline is operational for New York State residents in anticipation of the storm’s landfall.

Residents can call 1–888-769-7243 or 1-518-485-1159 for information about preparing for the hurricane and its impact. Information will also be available for referrals to County Emergency Management Offices and American Red Cross Shelters and road closures. Language translation services are also available by request. Past Contact Center emergency call experience includes the Haitian Earthquake relief, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the Lake Champlain Bridge closure.

“As part of our overall plan to prepare for Hurricane Sandy, we have set up this helpline to ensure that state residents will receive accurate and reliable information during the storm and its aftermath," Commissioner Hauer stated, “In addition, I encourage residents to monitor television, radio and social media for the latest storm updates and related instructions."

Residents in certain areas can also call 2-1-1 where United Way 2-1-1 operators will provide information on shelters, local assistance center locations, mental health resources, and food banks.  State focus for 2-1-1 for this incident is to collect and maintain information on offers of assistance, donations and those wishing to volunteer.

2-1-1 Hours of Operation:

· New York City, Finger Lakes (including Tompkins, & Bath partner sites) 24 hours a day

· Western New York – serving Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, the Capital Region and Long Island)  hours are from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

· Susquehanna River Region – hours are from 8:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

· PLEASE NOTE: 2-1-1 does not operate in most of Central New York.

Updates via cellphone and computer are also available from NY ALERT, New York State’s All-Hazards Alert and Notification System. NY ALERT is a free, web-based portal that allows State agencies, county and local governments, emergency service agencies and institutions of higher learning to provide emergency alerting information and private notifications to a defined audience (local, county, regional or statewide). If you wish to receive emergency information, you can register on the NY-ALERT website at www.nyalert.gov. Your email address will be your identifier. If you do not have access to the web, you may still sign up for NY-ALERT by calling 1-888-697-6972.

Visit DHSES online at: www.dhses.ny.gov, visit NY-ALERT online at: www.nyalert.gov

Stormwatch offers tips on what to do if a hurricane approaches, emergency supplies, hurricane FAQs and more http://www.governor.ny.gov/stormwatch