Hazard Mitigation Plan – We Need Your Input!

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Putnam County, along with its towns and villages, are in the process of updating the County’s 2015 Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP).  The update of this plan allows the county and participating jurisdictions to continue to be eligible for future pre-disaster mitigation funding from FEMA. Ultimately, these actions reduce vulnerability, and communities are able to recover more quickly from disasters.

To learn more about the project and submit input, please visit https://www.putnamcountynyhmp.com/

Putnam County is in an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms this afternoon into this evening. Wind gusts of 60 MPH or more and large hail are likely. An isolated tornado may also be possible

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Overview
The National Weather Service has notified us that we are in an enhanced risk for severe
thunderstorms this afternoon (8/27/20) into this evening. Severe thunderstorms can produce
wind gusts of 60 MPH or higher with large (2” or larger diameter) hail possible. There is also the
possibility of isolated supercells which can produce wind gusts of 75 MPH or greater and golf to
tennis ball sized hail.

County Response

Putnam County Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
The EOC is currently at Level 3. The Office of Emergency Management staff will continue to
monitor conditions and provide public information

Traffic and Road Conditions
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reports that we are seeing normal traffic patterns.

County Facilities
All County facilities are on their appropriate normal working schedule

Utilities
NYSEG – Storm Response Team is monitoring weather forecast, planning and readying crews
and equipment. Crews have been pre-deployed to areas expected to be impacted

Bureau of Emergency Services
Putnam County 9-1-1 is fully staffed. The public is reminded that 9-1-1 should only be used for
EMERGENCY requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Highways and Facilities
Highway crews have been notified and are ready to respond
Closing

  • Keep a flashlight and fresh batteries handy.
  • If you rely on electricity to operate a well pump, fill your bathtub for an extra water reserve.
  • Ensure adequate supplies of prescription medicine and other necessities.
  • Keep your cell phone fully charged.
  • Fuel up your vehicles.
  • Have a plan to check on vulnerable neighbors and family members.
  • Stock water and non-perishable foods that require no refrigeration or cooking.

Please monitor NY-Alert and www.putnamcountyny.gov for updates.

Full Volume Test for Indian Point Sirens Set for Wednesday, August 26th, 2020, at 6:00 PM

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Entergy is conducting a full-volume test of the Indian Point siren system in Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam counties on Wednesday, August 26th, at approximately 6:00 PM.
During the test the sirens will sound for four minutes. WHUD Radio (100.7 FM) will test the Emergency Alert System immediately following the siren test.

County officials will use the siren system to alert the public during an emergency at Indian Point. A sample of the Siren Sounds can be found at our website. www.putnamcountyny.com/pcbes/oem/indian-point/
In an actual emergency, all the sirens would sound at full volume for four minutes. Sirens are not a signal to evacuate; but to alert the public to tune to their local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio or TV station for important information. The EAS stations are listed in the booklet “Are you Ready ? Putnam County Indian Point: Emergency Guide,” which was distributed, as well as available online.

For additional information on this siren test:

Visit www.safesecurevital.org

Information on Indian Point emergency planning is on the New York Alert website:
https://alert.ny.gov/indian-point

 

Putnam County’s Office for Senior Resources Over 3,000 Food Bank Grocery Bags Delivered to Seniors

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This past Thursday marked the 3,000th grocery bag delivered by the Office for Senior Resources staff to the seniors of Putnam County. In addition to the daily home delivered meals and program materials transported to homebound seniors, OSR’s drivers bring a special package every Thursday. Those seniors who come to one of OSR’s 4 Friendship Centers to pick up a Grab n’ Go lunch during this pandemic also share in the bounty and receive a weekly grocery bag.

This bounty is courtesy of the United Way of Putnam and Westchester and the Food Bank of Hudson Valley under the direction of Food Drive Coordinator Faith Butcher. Each week the bag is different, and it might contain pieces of fruit, vegetables, onions (lots of onions!), yogurt, snacks, coffee, tea, a beverage, canned goods, eggs, bread, cheese and other items. Each Thursday morning, dozens of volunteers from the United Way, local food banks, other community organizations and local government come together to sort and bag truckloads of goods. The response of the Putnam County community to those in need during this coronavirus pandemic has been extraordinary and it is most appreciated by our seniors who look forward to each weekly surprise.

Our seniors are most at risk to dangers of the coronavirus, and the daily Home Delivered Meals, daily Grab n’ Go lunches, and the weekly United Way Food Bank Grocery Bag programs all work to help minimize the amount of shopping and the subsequent public exposure risk to our seniors. OSR has focused not only on the nutritional needs of Putnam County’s seniors during this crisis which has forced the temporary closure of its senior Friendship Centers but also on combating the dangers of loneliness and social isolation through a variety of telephone and internet video programs: Coffee and Conversation, Brain Fitness, Virtual Bingo, Zoom Dancing, Book Club Chats, Caregiver Support Groups, Online Exercise Classes and is working on more creative resources. 50 classes a week are offered! Any seniors interested in finding out more are invited to call the Office for Senior Resources at (845) 808-1700.

Response to Tropical Storm Isaias

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Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell praised the coordinated state, county and local response to Tropical Storm Isaias, which kept Putnam County residents safe during Tropical Storm Isaias and its aftermath.

“Once again, our county and local first responders made us proud,” County Executive Odell said. “The quick and sustained response of the members of the Incident Command Staff including Deputy County Executive Thomas Feighery, Bureau of Emergency Services Commissioner Ken Clair, Putnam County Highway Commissioner Fred Pena and the many municipal highway crews and fire and police departments that made sure our roads were cleared and our residents safe.  I also want to thank the volunteers like the Knights of Columbus, Ace Endico and the Paladin Center. They didn’t hesitate to step up and offer help to our residents. It’s that community spirit that makes Putnam County such a special place to live.”

Odell also thanked the state officials who were embedded at the Incident Command Center and provided invaluable assistance, including Michael Kopy, Director of Emergency Management, Dylan Miyoshi, Hudson Valley Representative in the Office of Regional Affairs, Tom Scaglione, Hudson Valley Representative of the state Department of Labor and Tom Cogdon, Executive Deputy of the Department of Public Service.

Ken Clair Jr., the commissioner of the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services said every town in the county had significant damage, with fallen trees blocking roads everywhere and bringing down utility poles and transmission lines.

“This storm was comparable to the 2018 tornado in terms of damage,” Commissioner Clair said. “Luckily, we have a really good team in the county. The Legislature, senior services, social services, county highway and local highway crews, the police, the fire departments, everyone knows their job in a storm. We push through and we get it done.”

County Executive Odell declared a State of Emergency on August 5 and called in the New York National Guard, who distributed water and ice to each municipality for its residents.

Odell said she wished she could say the same about the response by the public utilities that our residents pay for every month. While power has been restored throughout the county, it took far too long, Odell said.

“I’m totally disappointed in NYSEG and Central Hudson,” Odell said. “The utilities were not prepared and that is just not acceptable. Not having access to a reliable power source is more than an inconvenience, for many it is a matter of life and death.”

At the height of the August 3 storm, 90 percent of NYSEG’s 39,000 customers in Putnam County lost power. Central Hudson said 36,000 of its customers in Putnam County lost power. The utilities said that damage in Putnam was even worse than the county suffered in Superstorm Sandy in 2012. NYSEG reported 1,300 downed wires and 161 broken poles in our region.

View the Latest Storm Watch : 8.7.2020 Tropical Storm Isaias Recovery Update with County Executive MaryEllen Odell

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View the Latest Storm Watch : 8.7.2020 Tropical Storm Isaias Recovery Update with County Executive MaryEllen Odell

Putnam County EOC remains open. Over 16,500 customers are still without power. Comfort stations available. Water and Dry Ice available from local municipalities

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Overview

County Executive MaryEllen Odell and the ICS Team continue to meet at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) monitoring the cleanup and restoration efforts from Tropical Storm Isaias.

“While we have seen a little more than half of impacted customers get their power restored, we still have over 16,500 without” said County Executive Odell, “NYSEG reports that expect to see significant progress by the end of the day and that they will continue to work around the clock to provide restoration”.

The County Executive has remained in close contact with Carl Taylor, President & CEO of NYSEG and Michael Kopy, NYS Director of Emergency Management to keep the restoration efforts moving forward. NYSEG reports they have brought in additional crews from across the United States and Canada. They have restored all transmission lines which allows work to move forward on the distribution system which supplies electricity to the customer. NYSEG expects 95% their customers restored by Monday, August 10, 2020.

Dry Ice and water is being made available to customers impacted by the outage. Residents should contact their local municipality for distribution information. Each municipality will establish their own location and schedule.

The entire region has seen cell service issues including inability to make phone calls and no internet. This has been reported by all carriers. They are working to restore service. Cell towers from New Jersey into our region sustained major damage and will require service. No ETA on complete restoration.

Residents are reminded about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Bureau of Emergency Services Commissioner Ken Clair reports that there have been 51 calls for carbon monoxide alarms since the onset of Tropical Storm Isaias. “Of great concern is that of the 51 calls, all 51 of them actually had high carbon monoxide readings”, said Commissioner Clair, “imagine if just one of those alarms hadn’t gone off”. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death and is produced whenever a fossil fuel, such as gasoline, propane or natural gas, are burned. “All residents should have working carbon monoxide detectors in their residence, it is the only way to detect carbon monoxide” continued Commissioner Clair.

County Response

Putnam County Has Declared a State of Emergency

On August 5, 2020 at 12:00 a.m., County Executive MaryEllen Odell declared a State of Emergency for Putnam County. This declaration remains in effect through August 9, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. This declaration can be extended or revoked as the situation dictates

Putnam County Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

The EOC is currently at Level 2. The EOC is partially activated with Incident Command Team staff as well as specialists from other County departments, State agencies, Municipalities and utility companies. The EOC is on an extended workday schedule with round-the-clock monitoring

Comfort Stations

The County has established the following comfort stations: Comfort stations can be used by residents to recharge their phones and other electronic equipment and spend time in a warm/cool environment

Open Name Location
10 AM – 4 PM

 

 Friendship Center of Philipstown

(Former Butterfield Hospital Site)

 1756 NY-9D

Cold Spring NY
10 AM – 4 PM Knights of Columbus 10 Fair St

Carmel NY
10 AM – 4 PM German American Social Club 11 Kramers Pond Rd

Putnam Valley NY

 

Water & Ice Distribution

Please check with your local municipality for the availability of dry ice and the current schedule

Brewster

Brewster Village Town Hall
50 Main St

Bottled Water

Carmel

Knights of Columbus
10 Fair St

Dry Ice and Bottled Water

Kent

Kent Police Department
40 Sybil’s Crossing

Dry Ice & Bottled Water
24 Hrs

Mahopac

Roller Rink Parking Lot
740 Rt 6

Bottled Water

Patterson

Town Hall
1142 NY 311

Dry Ice Bottled Water
9:00 AM – While supplies lasts

Putnam Lake

Scott’s Putnam Lake Wines
74 Fairfield Dr

Dry ice & Bottled Water
10:00 AM – While supplies lasts

Putnam Valley

Putnam Valley Fire House
265 Oscawanna Lake Rd

Dry Ice and Bottled Water

Southeast

Town Hall
1360 Rt 22

Dry Ice & Bottled Water 9:00 AM – While supplies lasts

Traffic and Road Conditions

Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reports that we are seeing normal traffic patterns. Most traffic lights been returned to normal power or are operating on generator power. Most roadways are passable however motorists should use caution due to scattered debris and trees still entangled in wires

County Facilities

All County facilities are on their appropriate normal working schedule

Utilities

NYSEG – 15,500 without power. Expected that 95% of customers will be restored by 11:00 p.m. Monday, August 10, 2020

Central Hudson – 746 without power

Bureau of Emergency Services

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully staffed. The 9-1-1 Center reports a dramatic increase in the number of Carbon Monoxide calls. Residents are reminded to use caution when operating a generator, fumes from the improper use of a generator can KILL IN MINUTES. NEVER run a generator indoors or in a partially enclosed area like garages, car ports or under patio awnings. Generators should be placed outdoors far from windows, doors, crawl spaces, etc.

The public is reminded that 9-1-1 should only be used for EMERGENCY requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Fire & EMS

All Putnam County fire & EMS agencies have been briefed regarding the event. Call volume has returned to a normal level

Highways and Facilities

Highway crews are continuing with debris removal and restoration efforts

Transportation

The fixed route PART System and the Croton Falls Commuters System are operating on a normal schedule for today, Friday, August 7, 2020

Putnam Hospital Center

Putnam Hospital Center has returned to normal power.

Information

Remember to check on neighbors, friends and family during this difficult time.

NYSEG Outage Website: https://outagemap.nyseg.com/

Central Hudson Outage Website: https://stormcentral.cenhud.com/

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon Monoxide Can’t Be:

  • Seen
  • Heard
  • Smelled

But It Can Be Stopped!

Install CO detectors today!

Keep your family safe and install CO detectors (battery powered or battery backup) near every sleeping area in your home. Check the CO detector regularly.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill without warning. CO claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill. CO can be produced by common household items including gas and oil burning furnaces, portable generators, and charcoal grills.

  • Remember to have your furnace or boiler inspected every year
  • If operating a wood-burning stove or fireplace, be sure it is properly ventilated and has been professionally cleaned in the last year
  • Ovens, stoves and outdoor grills should NEVER be used to heat your home. Aside from causing a serious fire hazard when improperly used as a home heating source, these appliances can also cause a potentially lethal build-up of carbon monoxide gas
  • Never use a generator inside your home (including basement) or garage even if you open the doors or windows
  • Only use a generator outside more than 20 feet from your home, doors, windows, awnings or attached car ports

Putnam County EOC remains open. Over 25,700 customers are still without power. Comfort stations available. Water and Ice available from local municipalities

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County Executive MaryEllen Odell and the ICS Team at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) continue to monitor the cleanup and restoration efforts from Tropical Storm Isaias.

“The wind gusts from the storm did a large amount of damage in a relatively short period of time”, said County Executive Odell, “NYSEG reports that damage from this storm surpassed the damage to our region done by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and they will continue to work around the clock to provide restoration”.

County Executive Odell continues to meet with Carl Taylor, President & CEO of NYSEG and Michael Kopy, NYS Director of Emergency Management. NYSEG reports that there were 1,300 downed wires in addition to more than 161 broken poles in our region. Currently there are more than 1200 company and contractor (line and tree) resources actively working in the Brewster division (the Brewster Division serves not only Putnam County but upper Westchester and parts of Dutchess County). NYSEG expects 50% of it’s customers to be restored by Thursday, August 6, 2020 evening with 95% restored by Monday, August 10, 2020. Dry Ice and water is being made available to customers impacted by the outage. Residents should contact their local municipality for distribution information. Each municipality will establish their own location and schedule.

Water and Ice Distribution
(Please check with your local municipality for the availability of dry ice and current schedule)

Carmel

Knights of Columbus
10 Fair St

Wet Ice and Bottled Water

Kent

Kent Police Department
40 Sybil’s Crossing

Bottled Water
24 Hrs

Mahopac

Roller Rink Parking Lot
740 Rt 6

Wet Ice and Bottled Water

Patterson

Town Hall
1142 NY 311

Bottled Water
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Putnam Lake

Scott’s Putnam Lake Wines
74 Fairfield Dr

Bottled Water
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Putnam Valley

Putnam Valley Fire House
265 Oscawanna Lake Rd

Wet Ice and Bottled Water

Southeast

Town Hall
1360 Rt 22

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Bottled Water

Comfort stations available:

Friendship Center of Philipstown (former Butterfield Hospital site). 1756 NY-9D, Cold Spring NY

Knights of Columbus, 10 Fair St, Carmel NY

Both facilities are open from 10 AM until 4 PM. Residents can use the facilities to cool down and recharge their phones and other electronic equipment.

All County facilities resumed a normal operating schedule however our public transportation system which includes the Croton Falls Commuters and fixed route PART System is suspended and expected to resume normal operations on Friday, August 7, 2020.

NYSEG reports that currently 23,600 customers are without power. Central Hudson reports 2,000 customers are without power.

Residents are reminded to report any outages to their local utility company.  NYSEG can be contacted at 800-572-1131. Central Hudson Gas & Electric can be contacted at 845-452-2700. Both companies have an app available for download to track outages.

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully manned and should only be used for emergency requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Safety Near Fallen Wires:

  • You can’t tell if a power line is energized just by looking at it. You should assume that all fallen power lines are live and proceed with extreme caution.
  • If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 30 feet away from it and anything touching it. The ground around a power line and any objects it contacts, such as a fence, may be energized. Call 911 to report the condition so that emergency responders and Central Hudson or NYSEG are notified.
  • If a downed wire comes in contact with your vehicle, stay inside and wait for help. If you must get out because of fire or other danger, jump clear of the vehicle to avoid any contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and hop with feet together or shuffle away; don’t run or stride.
  • Do not attempt to move a fallen power line or anything else in contact with it using an object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials or cloth can conduct electricity if slightly wet.

During a Power Interruption

  • Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
  • To report a power interruption, contact your utility company.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.

Please continue to monitor NY-Alert for updates

County Executive MaryEllen Odell discusses state of emergency in Putnam

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Click to view County Executive MarryEllen Odell interview with News 12

County Executive MaryEllen Odell declares a State of Emergency

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Click to view the video below.