'Travel Will Become Dangerous Very Quickly,' Rockland Orders Emergency Travel Ban

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — County Executive Ed Day has declared a State of Emergency effective at 6 p.m., when a travel ban will go into effect.

The National Weather Service has expanded Blizzard Warnings into northeastern New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, and interior southern Connecticut, from Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon, with accumulations between 18 to 24 inches.

Due to the severity of the forecast, all vehicles should be off the roads by 6 p.m. Sunday for the duration of the emergency, according to the order issued Sunday morning.

"This decisive action is necessary to protect lives and ensure our road crews can clear snow as quickly and safely as possible," Day said. "With blizzard conditions expected, visibility will be extremely limited and travel will become dangerous very quickly. Keeping vehicles off the roads allows plows and emergency responders to operate without obstruction. We are asking every resident to comply so we can get through this storm safely."

Only emergency vehicles and authorized essential personnel will be permitted on the roadways.

County Highway Department crews will be deployed continuously throughout the storm, working in coordination with law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, and utility providers, according to the county executive.

Rockland County residents are being told to complete any necessary travel prior to 6 p.m, park in driveways or other off-street locations, and monitor official Rockland County government channels for updates.

Because of the volume of calls expected, residents are being asked to call 911 for emergencies only.

The Rockland County Warming Center will remain available to anyone age 18 or older who needs a warm, safe place to stay. However, as road conditions deteriorate, the van that normally provides transportation to the warming center may be unable to operate. Those who wish to make use of the facility are being encouraged to head to the warming center and remain there until conditions improve and roads are cleared. For additional information or to contact the Warming Center, call 845-364-2332 or 845-608-6670.

If Orange and Rockland customers experience a power outage during the forecast high winds, they can report it by visiting the O&R website from any computer or web-based mobile device, accessing O&R's mobile app (download via Apple Store or Google Play), by calling 1-877-434-4100, or Texting "OUT" to 69678 (myORU).