ALBANY, NY (October 12, 2025) — Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Sunday for eight counties across southern New York as a strengthening coastal storm barreled toward the region, threatening widespread moderate to major coastal flooding, high winds and heavy rain.
The declaration covers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester counties, along with contiguous areas. It comes after Hochul urged residents to prepare for the Nor’easter’s impacts beginning Sunday afternoon.
“As the Nor’easter continues making its way through New York, I’m declaring a State of Emergency across boroughs and counties most impacted by the storm,” Hochul said. “The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution until the storm has passed through the state.”
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Long Island, New York City and southern Westchester County from 12 p.m. Sunday through 8 p.m. Monday. Moderate to major coastal flooding is possible along the south shore of Long Island and Jamaica Bay, with minor to moderate flooding threats elsewhere along the coastline. Dune erosion and localized overwashes are anticipated on Atlantic Ocean beaches.
A high wind warning is in effect for eastern Suffolk County from 12 p.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Monday, with wind gusts up to 60 mph possible, potentially causing downed trees and power outages. Wind advisories cover the rest of Long Island, New York City and southern Westchester County. The MTA will ban empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks on its seven bridges starting at 3 p.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Monday.
Rainfall forecasts call for 1.5 to 3 inches downstate in the lower Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island regions, with minor flooding possible in areas with poor drainage. The northern Mid-Hudson and southern Capital regions could see 1 to 1.5 inches, while the rest of the state expects an inch or less.
Utilities have ramped up preparations, adding more than 1,600 workers in the Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island regions for a statewide total of about 7,100 available for damage assessment, response, repair and restoration. Con Edison and Orange and Rockland added 900 workers, PSEG Long Island added 520, NYSEG added 198 and Central Hudson added 44.
The state Department of Public Service has coordinated with utilities including Con Edison, Orange and Rockland, PSEG Long Island, Central Hudson Gas and Electric and NYSEG. Preparations include activating incident command, staging equipment, notifying life support equipment customers and critical facilities, and briefing municipal officials. Crews are ready for overnight operations where safe.
Hochul first warned of the storm earlier in the week and continues to advise New Yorkers to monitor local forecasts, enable government emergency alerts on mobile phones and sign up for real-time alerts by texting their county or borough name to 333111. Weather alerts are available at alerts.weather.gov.
Safety tips for power outages include checking utility repair schedules, unplugging appliances to avoid overloads, leaving one light on to signal restoration and closing off unneeded rooms to stay warm. Outage reporting numbers are: Central Hudson at 800-527-2714, Con Edison at 800-752-6633, National Grid at 800-867-5222, NYSEG at 800-572-1131, O&R at 877-434-4100, PSEG-LI at 800-490-0075 and RG&E at 800-743-1701.
For flooding, residents should learn safe evacuation routes, develop family escape plans, inventory valuables, stockpile supplies including canned food, medicine, water and pet plans, keep a portable radio and flashlights handy, maintain a full fuel tank and have emergency kits in vehicles. Properties should be assessed for flood levels, and materials like sandbags and plywood kept ready. Homeowners’ insurance typically excludes flood damage, so separate flood insurance is recommended.
More flood preparation details are at dhses.ny.gov/flood.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.