The latest winter storm, which began Feb. 22 and continued into Feb. 23, brought blizzard conditions to Dutchess County.
The county is still under a state of emergency, declared by both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino.
“This has been a very dynamic and difficult storm, creating dangerous conditions and challenges for highway crews,” Serino said in a statement the morning of Feb. 23. “For public safety, we are extending the State of Emergency, including restricting all non-essential travel on roadways, until 4 p.m. today. Please stay home and stay safe.”
The National Weather Service’s Albany Office issued a blizzard warning for the Poughkeepsie area, which will remain in effect until 7 p.m. on Feb. 23.
With these conditions, power outages may be on the way, and Central Hudson issued a statement this morning on ensuring power is restored.
Details on the National Weather Service’s blizzard warning
Towns in the blizzard warning area for Dutchess County, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), include Amenia, Arlington, Beacon, Dover Plains, Millbrook, Pawling, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie and Stanfordville.
Snow totals for the area are estimated to be between 10 and 20 inches, with increased snowfall totals favored across higher elevations.
Wind gusts are forecasted to go up to 40 to 50 miles per hour, which may bring down tree limbs or power lines, as well as cause blowing and drifting snowfall.
Travel, NWS states, will be difficult to impossible, and should be restricted to emergencies only.
Morning and evening commuters will both face dangerous conditions. Visibility is predicted to drop as low as a quarter of a mile.
States of emergency declared
Originally announced on Saturday, Feb. 21, to begin on Sunday, Feb. 22, Hochul’s State of Emergency included Dutchess County, along with 20 other counties, as well as contiguous counties, across the lower portion of the state, from Albany down to New York City and Long Island.
The State Department of Transportation has deployed staff to support critical snow and ice operations in the Hudson Valley region, including 40 operators, four supervisors and 10 equipment operator instructors, totaling 54 staff.
Commuters are encouraged to stay up to date with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including the TrainTime app for commuter rail information, before traveling. The Metro-North Railroad will run hourly service on the Hudson line and weekend service on the Wassaic branch.
Also, note temporary closures and limited public access at State Parks in the area due to the storm. Park visitors should check out parks.ny.gov, see the NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call their local park office for the latest updates regarding park hours, openings and closings.
Lastly, New Yorkers are encouraged to register for real-time weather and emergency alerts from the government on their mobile devices. Residents can text their county name to 333111 to sign up.
Dutchess County travel restrictions
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino declared a state of emergency with an emergency order restricting non-essential travel starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.
This state of emergency, including the emergency order restricting travel, originally planned to end on Monday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m., has been extended to 4 p.m.
Dutchess County government offices are closed, including the Dutchess County Department of Motor Vehicle offices.
There will be no county public transit bus service. For updates on bus service for Tuesday, Feb. 24, see dutchessny.gov/publictransit, the DCPT mobile SPOT app, available on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Travel on Dutchess County roadways is restricted except for essential personnel: first responders, medical and health facility personnel, law enforcement and public safety personnel, utility, maintenance and public works personnel, snow removal, sanding, salting and clearing operations personnel, facility operations persons deemed necessary for plant operations by their employers, and public and government personnel involved in emergency operations.
Crews from the Dutchess County Public Works Highway Division will continue to address roads, and the county’s over 50 vehicles and equipment are deployed.
For more information on winter driving and power outage safety tips, see governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-declares-state-emergency-blizzard-set-hit-long-island-new-york-city-and-lower.
Dutchess County Emergency Operations Center open
The Dutchess County Emergency Operations Center is operational and is working to coordinate response to storm conditions. Dutchess County’s 9-1-1 Communication Center is fully staffed as well.
The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is working collaboratively with the Department of Emergency Response to respond when necessary, and is also fully staffed, with all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles ready, if needed.
The county Office for the Aging’s eight Senior Friendship Centers are closed on Feb. 23, including no Home Delivered Meals deliveries. Older adults enrolled in the program have had shelf-stable meals delivered already.
Additionally, the county’s CODE BLUE protocol, giving shelter to anyone who needs it when temperatures are 32 degrees or below, will continue to be in effect.
The Dutchess County Department of Community & Family Services works to ensure residents are safe, and anyone who needs emergency shelter should call 2-1-1. A staff member will assist in getting people to a shelter placement.
County residents can stay informed on the local storm response by visiting dutchessny.gov/stormupdates, seeing the Dutchess County Government Facebook page or the Dutchess County Government Instagram page: @Dutchess County Government and @dutchesscountygov, respectively.
Find winter weather safety tips from the county government at dutchessny.gov/WinterPreparedness.
Central Hudson winter storm power restoration, area outages
As of the morning of Feb. 23, 16 outages have been reported, affecting 292 customers across Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Ulster counties, according to outagemap.cenhud.com.
At 8 a.m. Monday, Central Hudson released a message on their website stating their crews would be working around the clock to restore power due to any winter storm damage.
Central Hudson also reminded locals to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines, which may be hidden in snow, fallen trees or branches. They emphasized to assume all downed lines are live.
To report outages and get status updates, visit cenhud.com/Storms, call 845-452-2700 or sign up for text message alerts and report an outage by texting REG to 236483, then text OUT to report. See further instructions on signing up for their text message alerts at cenhud.com/mobile-app-content/text-message-alerts.
Snow totals: Search by address
USA TODAY’s snowfall map shows accumulation over the past 24, 48, and 72 hours, as well as seasonal totals dating back to Oct. 1. Updated multiple times a day, the map lets you toggle between timeframes to see how snow is adding up in your area.
Nickie Hayes is Breaking & Trending News Reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal. See her most recent articles here. Contact reporter Nickie Hayes: NHayes@poughkee.gannett.com, 845-863-3518 and @nickieehayess on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Travel ban extended as blizzard conditions hit Dutchess County
Reporting by Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
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