Monday, September 16, 2013

Report From RIRA President Ellen Polivy - Roosevelt Island Hurricane Preparedness And New Evacuation Zone Locations

Click here for the new NYC Hurricane Evacuation Map.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Ellen Polivy sends the following Report To The Community:
Our new evacuation zones:

RIRA was pleased to join with City Councilmember Jessica Lappin and RIOC to bring you the presentation on August 27 by OEM about Roosevelt Island’s new evacuation zones. Public Safety Director John McManus joined two presenters from OEM for part of the presentation.

Roosevelt Island has now become two upgraded evacuation zones. Under certain circumstances we might be more likely to be asked to clear out in advance of an expected bad weather event.

If Hurricane Sandy were to happen under our new zones, our entire Island would have been advised to evacuate. The categories of hurricanes are not aligned to the evacuation zones categories. Storms are evaluated individually by projecting when and where they are likely to hit land. With that in mind, the Mayor decides with OEM’s advice , which areas to call for evacuation. Since we are now more likely to need to evacuate in advance of mega storms or hurricanes, we should take the longstanding advice to be prepared. Preparation starts with having a plan, creating a go-bag (and supplies to “shelter-in-place”) , knowing where to go, and how to get there.

The OEM presenters Christina Farrell and Roosevelt Island resident Rachel Sulaymanov gave useful information. They emphasized that we will be given ample warning to leave the Island in case an evacuation was called. We would be notified about 2-3 days in advance to give us ample opportunity to temporarily relocate to our families and friends who live outside of the evacuation zones, or to one of the recommended shelters.

Disabled people should call 311 to get transportation. OEM contracts with hundreds of companies to respond to any calls for assistance in evacuation. During Hurricane Sandy, they had hundreds of companies ready to help disabled people leave for shelters. But very few were actually used. The speakers emphasized the usefulness of that transportation system for disabled and other special needs like elderly, small children, pets etc.

Depending on the number of people being urged to evacuate, OEM might open additional shelters. They explained that hurricane related evacuations do not happen in the middle of stormy weather, but usually on a nice day two to three days beforehand. We are urged to notify our neighbors who might not have heard the news and to take care of each other. Their description of the shelters sounded a bit like going to camp for a few days. Families are kept together and you can go with your pet. Pets will be well cared for at the shelter in the pet area. People who don’t like pets are not forced to be with them.

You can find out lots of information online by searching for keywords such as “hurricane maps NYC”, “ReadyNYC”, "hurricane guide” or “evacuation centers” or “NYC go-bag”. Most of these searches will bring you to the huge database of information at the NYC OEM website.

Register at “Notify NYC” (nyc.gov/notifynyc) for free notifications about emergencies like severe weather, school closures and subway disruptions. You can have the messages sent by text message, email or Twitter.

Our shelters

Our closest shelters are two schools on either side of the East River. In Manhattan our shelter is Julia Richman School at 317 E 67 Street in Manhattan. The other is the Newcomers High School at 28-01 41 Avenue in Long Island City.

The Roosevelt Island Evacuation plan is under update by the RIOC Public Safety Director McManus and he sees "no reason" why it should not be made public after it is updated. This plan will inform us on how the island population would evacuate in a sudden need when there is not the usual two to three days of time or if the standard means of transportation do are not working or if the bridges are closed. We will keep in touch with Director McManus about this topic. We expect that there will be another community forum when the plans have been updated.

Why not just tough it out at home?

Hurricanes don’t just cause floods and wreckage and occasional loss of life. They sometimes cause temporary loss of basic services such as electricity, phones, gas and water and sewage, making homes unlivable. Those who try to live in their homes after evacuation orders are called put added stress on systems that need to be repaired. Leaving for a shelter gives the repair people time to restore the services without the extra load.

Those who decide to stay home after evacuation orders have been given risk more than just themselves. If the storm turns worse than expected, teams of first responders must then risk their lives trying to evacuate the stranded.

You can find the presentation online at

http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/2013/08/mandatory-evacuation-of-roosevelt.html .

11 comments :

CheshireKitty said...

Ellen has written a very good report explaining the new OEM zones. Let's hope RI never has to be evacuated.

Random said...

How are we to evacuate? Via the F Train?

OldRossie said...

Shouldn't you be downtown waving the unemployment flag today? It's your anniversary!

Frank Farance said...

OldRossie: agree that 1%ers focus upon their own interests (like everyone), and there is nothing wrong with that. Agree that many 1%ers have the sense "I don't mind paying taxes, I do want the government to provide services, I just want the government money spent effectively", which is not the position of some anti-government politicians. I also note your support of the Universal Pre-K tax, which is (IMO) a Good Idea.


So here's where 1%-ers can help. Many of those 1%-ers are well-educated people who have the capability to understand the need to strike a balance, and they need to have all that infrastructure in place (workers, roads, etc.) to be successful. While I don't expect Warren Buffett rhetoric about his secretary paying less taxes (good rhetoric), 1%-ers can chime in against others who say "I'm a self-made man/business", because that isn't actually true - everyone is dependent upon some services of our society. There are other chime-in points, too.



99%-ers can help by acknowledging KTG's point before: (1) the safety nets of our society were not intended for long-term dependency, and (2) if you have the capability to be productive in society and not depend upon a safety net, then you should do so and make room for those who are needier ... we can't have a society where everyone is in the safety net. In other words, billblass's having Sec8 benefits yet (it appears) he is over the limit, is something that 99%-ers should gripe about because it displaces people who are actually needy.



So without extreme positions, then it is possible to recognize a variety of "income cliffs" (as Mr. Lyon as pointed out recently) and work on smoothing them out to reduce inefficiencies and counterproductive incentives. And it's possible to have productive discussions on a variety of policy topics.

OldRossie said...

100% agreed.

CheshireKitty said...

Remember Rossie - time is running out for the policies of the elitists currently ruling NYC. The developers, the BB clones, the financiers, the big shots. The era of the 1% troglodytes such as yourself ends in Jan.
So enjoy the last 3 months of being thinking you're at the top of heap.


Everything Mr. BB blocked - sick pay, minimum wage hike, etc etc - will be passed by a CC that gained progressive politicians and lost machine pols in the election, and those laws will be shoved down the throat of the 1%. Business will just have to bite the bullet and cough up sick pay.


The nightmare of 20 years of reactionary politics in NYC - including the unconstitutional Stop 'n' Frisk, is almost over. You can almost see the change already in peoples' outlooks - a new hopefulness as if things are finally looking up for the ordinary folk, which, in fact, they are.


Hey - what's that I hear? It sounds like a train.. a train that can easily take Rossie back to Jipipy, where you would be much, much happier...!

OldRossie said...

Yet your non-contributory life will never improve. How does that feel, anyway?

CheshireKitty said...

I hear that train, Rossie! Back to the suburbs with you.. you can make your oh so "important" contributions to society just as easily from the Mid-West as from NYC!


My life will never improve? You are making a lot of assumptions there, my man.


What's the standard that measures improvement anyway? Electronic gadgets? I happen to own them, as a matter of fact, too many of them! More than I could ever possibly hope to use. Material possessions - got 'em! More, much more than I need. I got so many pairs of ahem "elite" athletic shoes of all types, my walk-in closets (oh yes - my nice subsidized apt comes with wonderful walk-in closets) are overflowing with sneakers, cross-trainers, all the latest styles. Let's see, what else could I possibly need? Membership at a "nice" health club? Yep, got it. Yoga classes, Pilates - definitely go there, do them. Let's see what else? Oh, and my other walk-in closet? That one is filled with "professional" business suits! Hahahaha! Oh, I got a lot of them!


What else could I possibly need, Rossie? I mean, I'm not a particularly competitive person, but I have so many "things" already if that's what you're referring to.


I sense something is bothering you. I have money (obviously) yet unlike you I don't have to work. Unlike you I have a nice big 2 BR 2 BA apt, yet I still care about those less well off.


I guess you would consider me a class traitor since I don't identify with elites/yuppies like you. I mean, what else should I do? Turn my back on my poor neighbors? That would make you happy? That would represent an "improvement" - to become a heartless so-and-so like you?

OldRossie said...

The contradictions continue - so you have a subsidized apartment, though you previously stated you don't accept any subsidy, and you have money? So you are exactly the abuser we've been talking about! And a hypocritical one to boot - sounds like you're far more of an elite yuppie than anyone here!! Keep preachin, NONE of it is truth, but entertainment just the same.

CheshireKitty said...

Built-in subsidy - in the form of State-regulated, as opposed to market rate, rents. M-L was a form of a subsidy too although no money changed hands with regard to the renter.

Residents are allowed to have money and still benefit from the programs - look at Rivercross owners. I never said I didn't have money.

I'm not an elite yuppie - even if I do own tons of things, and a car, and a storage unit in LICfor the overflow. You just sound bitter - you didn't luck out, you are in MP - which contains some of the smallest, yet nonetheless rather pricey, units I've ever seen, instead of in a rent regulated building with more spacious units (and no utility bills, either).

You're wrong! It's all true: I have money, I don't have to work (unless I want to) I also pay tax (of course) and I still have the time to stick up for the little guy. You however are trapped in a mind-numbing work routine: You previously mentioned having to work up to 12 hours per day - it's no wonder you would feel so bitter toward me. It must seem terribly unfair to you that I don't have to work and thus have the time/inclination to point out the economic problems that result in, for example, billblass refusing overtime opportunities so that he can retain his voucher, to yuppies like you.

OldRossie said...

It seems you're trying to be insulting, but there's an inherent problem: everything about you is wrong to me, and therefore what you say doesn't matter to me. Thus far you've call me many names, you've actually attempted to describe me, you've tried to nail down my upbringing, blah blah blah - no matter how wrong you are (I don't even think there's any way for you to know my race!), there's no point in correcting you or tell you anything about me, because what you think doesn't matter to me! I continue this conversation because what you say is so ridiculous I have a hard time NOT responding! You're the type that thinks the US can just keep printing money, that China owns all US debt, you see a headline about proxy votes and think you understand the implications... You're defensiveness, and attempt to posture yourself with what you own, AFTER raging about the "haves vs. the have-nots" makes your incoherent babbling that much less meaningful. I am regularly amazed by your ignorance, and by each new post and its irrelevance and stupidity - every long-winded thing you write makes me feel bad for you, laugh at you, and hate you, all at the same time! But, for the benefit of those that actually want to get something out of this blog, I think it's time to put a stop to it. Now, I know you can't live without having the last word, and I think it's because of some mix of loneliness, boredom, and attempt at self justification that you would sit on this blog FOREVER, and I admit your stupidity DRAWS responses out of me... So I'll end with this, assume you'll come back with another outlanding response, but I'll try to walk away - You can try to categorize people, tell people what they think (ignoring what they say), claim yourself to be some kind of hero representing people (who don't seem to care), and point the finger at the whole world. At the end of the day, This is you. A fictional character on a blog. Nothing you write here will ever matter, and no name calling or accusations you make will ever affect me or anyone else. Sounds like you're well off - if you want to be helpful, get out of the house and go help, give up some of that time and money you're so happy to have. Me? I'm very happy in my situation. And you're absolutely right! The suburbs can be my next step if that's what I chose - or another part of the city, or another city, or another country... That's the benefit of listening, learning, being out there and contributing - you never know where it may take you! Wherever that is for me, I'll know where to find you. Good luck!