Storm Hub: Second Shelter Opens

General updates

11 a.m. Monday — Another update available: .

12:10 p.m. Saturday — County provides general updates.

6:25 p.m. Friday — Another shelter opens. Details available here.

9:45 a.m. Friday — Latest NYSEG numbers available here.

8:50 a.m. Friday — Putnam County officials lifted a ban, which required non-essential vehicles to stay off the roads, at 7 last night.

Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association is still functioning as a comfort station, with bottled water, dry ice, outlets and shower facilities available. Open until 7 p.m. Friday. Southeast Town Hall is closed because of a lack of power, but the offices at 1 Main Street are open. Village of Brewster offices are open, too.

Brewster schools are closed today. Here are a few other updates:

• Metro-North Restores Service at Southeast 
• NYSEG: Majority of Service Restored by Sunday
• Southeast Business Invites Residents to Recharge

4:50 p.m. Thursday — A shelter is opening in Putnam Valley, where more than 90 percent of New York State Electric & Gas customers were without power as of this morning. Here's the official word from Putnam County:

Putnam County officials announce that the Putnam Valley Senior Center which is presently being used only as a comfort center will transition to a comfort center from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. and a shelter from 8 p.m. through 8 a.m.  The senior center is located at 117 Town Park Lane off of Oscawana Lake Road and the telephone number is (845) 808-1730.

The shelter is available for those persons who are still without power and will begin at 8 p.m.  Putnam County officials ask that only those individuals in real need of shelter utilize this service as space is limited. The shelter will provide a place to sleep which includes bedding. No shower facilities are available at Putnam Valley Senior Center.

Again, Putnam Valley Senior Center will revert to a comfort station beginning at 8 a.m.  No food will be provided during comfort station hours.

Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell is opening this service to provide for the challenges that are being faced by many families in our community. This shelter opening will be for a limited period based on the needs of the community while Putnam County continues to experience power outages.

Please be cautious when travelling to the shelter as visibility is still challenging.

4:35 p.m. Thursday — Brewster schools will be closed Nov. 2. Nov. 6, originally marked as a superintendent's conference day, will now be a regular school day for students. 

REMINDER: The comfort station in Southeast (15 Mount Ebo Road South) has shower facilities. It's open until 7 p.m. Thursday.

3:10 p.m. Thursday — Recap from Brewster firefighters. Link featured near the bottom of this story.

1:40 p.m. Thursday — More cancellations for Putnam. Scroll down for details.

10:40 a.m. Thursday — An overview of the situation as of Thursday morning is online here. Yesterday afternoon, Putnam County officials released another statement.

5:45 p.m. Wednesday — Brewster schools will be closed Thursday, Nov. 1.

5:30 p.m. Wednesday — Update from NYSEG available here. Update from Putnam County (major cancellations!) available here. Nothing yet from BCSD on opening Thursday or Friday, although Mahopac will be closed both.

1:25 p.m. Wednesday — Water is still for Southeast residents, but the dry ice has been snatched up. Click here to learn about the next delivery. Other updates:

• From Putnam County (sent today): Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell wants Putnam County residents to know that the State of Emergency will remain in effect at least through Wednesday, October 31, 2012. This declaration includes the ban on the roads for non-essential vehicles.  
  Please be advised that Putnam County Government Offices will be closed on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 as power outages continue. Putnam County Transit and Para-Transit will remain suspended until further notice.  
• Limited Metro North Rail Service Begins at 2 p.m.

Village offices are open today. Town offices and Brewster schools are not. The Brewster Public Library is also closed.

Scroll down for a link to a food safety story, and updated cancellations.

2:45 p.m. Tuesday — Here is some additional information from Putnam County.

2:20 p.m. Tuesday — Brewster schools will be closed Wednesday. Mahopac, too.

2:15 p.m. Tuesday — No word on whether Brewster Schools will be in session Wednesday. No updates on power restoration times for the roughly 3,000  New York State Electric & Gas Southeast customers without power. Dry ice available at Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Local officials say the 9-1-1 problem has been resolved.

9:05 a.m. Tuesday — Putnam County officials say there is a "severe 9-1-1 problem" that is preventing some calls from reaching dispatchers. A connection to 911 "is not guaranteed." 

"If you have a 9-1-1 emergency, please dial the Putnam County Sheriff's Department at 845-225-4300 or phone your local police department," authorities said in a message through NY-Alert.

The Village Police Department can be reached at (914) 804-8442.

County Executive MaryEllen Odell issued a declaration of emergency Tuesday morning, saying this in a statement:

"The Declaration of Emergency, in conjunction with an Order to keep all non-essential vehicles off the roads, allows us to fully assess the storm's damage and allow local emergency and utility crews to respond to emergencies and begin the much needed repair work.

Putnam County Executive Odell stated, "It is important that our residents understand that dangerous situations exist throughout the County. Keeping non-essential vehicles off of all County roads not only keeps our citizens safe, but ensures that essential emergency personnel and utility crews will have full access to our County road network."

8:50 a.m. Tuesday — More than 20,000 NYSEG Putnam customers are without power as of 8:50 a.m. The number in Southeast is just above 3,000. No restoration times are available as of that time. 

A "comfort station" is available until 9 p.m. Tuesday for Southeast residents.

--

After the storm

Hurricane Sandy has claimed four lives in the Lower Hudson Valley.

A tree crashed through a home in Pearl River at about 6 p.m. Monday, killing a 51-year-old man and placing his family in the hospital.

In North Salem, a tree came down Monday evening, killing two middle school-aged boys.

A motorist on the Sprain Brook Parkway in Greenburgh died due to storm conditions Monday evening, as well, according to state police.

The storm—an amalgam of several foul weather patterns—brought its worst rains and winds through the region between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday.

The National Hurricane Center was no longer labeling Sandy a hurricane as of 7 p.m. Monday, as it teetered on the edge of the northeast coastline—but the squall still held amazing power.

Nearly all municipalities in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam declared states of emergency, with evacuations in effect in Port Chester, Piermont, Yonkers and other villages and cities. Hundreds of thousands throughout the three counties will be without electricity for up to a week, power companies have said.

Roads Tuesday afternoon were populated by emergency vehicles, branches and debris; the Tappan Zee Bridge closed for several hours due to whipping winds.

For the latest on everything Sandy, stay with Patch.

--

10:45 p.m. Monday — Two deaths reported in North Salem.

9:20 p.m. Monday — Brewster Mayor Jim Schoenig said about an hour ago that the north side of Main Street is in the dark, but a few businesses (Bob's Diner, Jack & Jill Lounge and Pizza Place) are open. He added that the roads are "in bad shape." Unrelated update: Part of Route 6 in Carmel is blocked because of a large tree. Scroll down for details.

8:10 p.m. Monday — About 1,500 New York State Electric & Gas customers in Southeast are without power. Scroll down for details.

5:55 p.m. Monday — Northbound Taconic in Putnam has been cleared.

5:35 p.m. Monday — Two dozens roads in Putnam are blocked or closed.

3 p.m. Monday — Winds cause damage in Southeast. See photo in gallery at right.

2 p.m. Monday — A flood warning is in effect for Putnam County until 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. Local municipal offices are closed. Scroll down for details, or visit the Southeast-Brewster Patch Facebook page.

11:30 a.m. Monday — No word on official shelters yet, but Putnam County has opened "comfort stations." Scroll down to the "Full Coverage" section of this story and click on the second link for details.

--

11 p.m. Sunday — Hurricane Sandy is about to start its turn north, the National Weather Service predicted at 11 p.m. It is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges, coastal hurricane winds and heavy Appalachian snows.

The storm now has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour. 

The tempest is expected to veer westward overnight and move over the mid-Atlantic coast late Monday. According to computer-model simulations it will lose power Tuesday, with winds topping off around 55 miles per hour.

The region's Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

Flooding, for now, is the main focus of forecasters and federal disaster response agencies, according to Louis Uccellini, director the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center For Environmental Prediction.

The storm is anticipated to affect 50-60 million people along the east coast, from the Carolinas to New England and extending west into West Virgina and the Ohio Valley.

The region's Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

Flooding, for now, is the main focus of forecasters and federal disaster response agencies, according to Louis Uccellini, director the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center For Environmental Prediction.

The storm is anticipated to affect 50-60 million people along the east coast, from the Carolinas to New England and extending west into West Virgina and the Ohio Valley.

For a storm explainer: What Is This "Frankenstorm" Heading Our Way?

--

Road closures and power outages

9:15 p.m. Monday — Officials say Route 6 at Belden Road in Carmel could be closed for up to 24 hours because of a large down tree. About 2,000 in the dark in Brewster and Southeast, and no restoration times available. 

8:10 p.m. Monday — About 1,500 NYSEG customers in Southeast are without power. No etimated restoration times.

6 p.m. Monday — NYSEG estimates there are about 4,400 outages in the county. About 630 are in Southeast and about 1900 in Carmel. No estimated restoration times are listed.

5:30 p.m. Monday — In Southeast, these roads are blocked or closed: 

• Dingle Ridge Road at Ridgebury Road
• Route 6 at Route 312
• Route 312 at Prospect Street
• North Salem Road at Starr Lea Road

5:05 p.m. Monday — Route 311 in Patterson, between Locust Street and Maple Avenue, is closed.

4 p.m. Monday — Northbound Taconic Parkway in Putnam Valley is closed because of a large tree blocking the roadway. Cleared as of 5:55 p.m.

3:30 p.m. Monday — About 28 NYSEG customers are without power in Brewster (in addition to the ones detailed in the next post).

2 p.m. Monday — NYSEG estimates there are about 2,200 outages in the county. About 1,300 are in Carmel, and 200 in Patterson. Southeast is not on the list. If available, restoration times are mostly posted for 3 p.m.

11:42 a.m. Monday — Putnam County Officials announced that the State of Connecticut closed traffic at 11 a.m. on Interstate 84 (I-84) for all tractor trailers, box trucks, house trailers, etc. At 1 p.m. I-84 will be closed at the Connecticut border for all non-essential vehicles.    

In Putnam County, the following roads are closed:  

• Bear Mountain Bridge Road in Contenintal Village
• Cornwall Hill Road at Cornwall Meadows in the Town of Patterson
• Zimmer Road in the Town of Southeast    

The NYS-DOT and NYS Bridge Authority has informed Putnam County Officials that when winds reach 40 MPH, speed and vehicle restrictions apply and at 50 MPH bridges will be closed.   

--

Cancellations, closures and rain dates

•  (Officials have not yet announced plans for Tuesday)
• Brewster Public Library will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Brewster school districts (as well as Carmel and Mahopac) are closed Monday and Tuesday.
• From Putnam County (Thursday): All fire (including Fire Officer 1), EMT and EMT refresher classes scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 1) are canceled.
• From Putnam County (Wednesday): All fire & EMS classes (including Firefighter I Live Fire Training) scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 31 are canceled.
  The Firefighter I mid-term will still take place on Nov. 2; the Fire Police Class will start on Nov. 7, NOT Nov. 5.
• From Putnam County (Monday/Tuesday): Fire Police class is canceled for Monday and Tuesday. It will resume Nov. 5. Firefighter II is canceled for Tuesday, as is Fire Officer 1 (class will resume Nov. 1). Midterm for Firefighter I is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the TOPS buildling (on Old Route 6) in Carmel. Pilot Refresher, EMT is canceled for Tuesday.
• Haunting on the Hill at Thunder Ridge Ski Area in Patterson is canceled for Sunday night. That means the season is over.
• Mount Kisco Medical Group offices and emergency care centers are closing at 1 p.m. Monday. Patients should call 244Mkmg for appointment status rest of week, 911 emergencies.
• Patterson Library will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Retail closings: Carvel Ice Cream in Southeast will be closed Monday and Tuesday. The Bowl Company in Brewster will be closed Monday. Find others here.
• Team Brewster meeting, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed.
• The Postal Office in Southeast was closed at about 1 p.m. Monday.
• The Putnam County Legislature's meeting is canceled for Monday.
• The offices at Sheet Metal Workers Union No. 38 in Southeast will be closed Monday. There will be no apprentice classes.
• Town of Southeast offices are closed as of noon Monday. Officials have not yet announced plans for Tuesday.

--

Patch's full coverage

• AG Warns Against Price Gouging
• BFD Responds to About 50 Sandy-Related Calls
• County Opens Senior Centers as 'Comfort Stations'
• Cuomo Declares State of Emergency for New York
• Food Safety Tips: Post Power Outage
• Highway Dept. Clears Guinea Road
• How You Can Prep For Hurricane Sandy [VIDEO]
• Hurricane Sandy: County Urges Putnam Folks to Prepare
• MTA Suspends Service Starting at 7 p.m. Sunday
• NYS Thruway Preps for Hurricane Sandy
• PHOTOS: Sandy Crashes Down on Putnam
• PHOTOS: Sandy Hits Putnam
• Putnam Braces for Sandy
• Putnam Officials: Strongest Winds to Hit Monday Night
• Red Cross Launches Multi-State Response
• School Closings in the Hudson Valley
• Storm Preparation: Do You Have A Checklist?
• Video: MTA Prepping for Storm

--

Do you know of an event cancellation? Please add it to the comment section attached to this article and update the event in our free Patch calendar to notify the community.