Monticello, NY – Sullivan County Manager Josh Potosek has reinstituted the State of Emergency for all of Sullivan County effective immediately and lasting until midnight tonight, Wednesday, March 7, 2018, due to the combined impacts of the current snowstorm and this past Friday's nor’easter.
“After consultation with town leaders, our Emergency Operations Center team agreed a State of Emergency declaration is necessary to protect the safety of both the public and our crews working on power restoration, snow clearing and emergency response,” Potosek explained. “The faster we remove snow from our streets, the faster we can complete the arduous cleanup process and return residents' lives to normal.”
“We don't prohibit travel lightly,” Sullivan County Public Safety Commissioner Rick Sauer explained. “But the wounds we received from Friday's storm continue to fester, and we need time and space to make repairs.”
This emergency declaration BANS UNNECESSARY TRAVEL on County and local (town/village) roads across Sullivan County. This prohibition does not apply to vehicles engaged in road maintenance due to the storm, those traveling to or from their jobs, medical and healthcare personnel, public employees designated as essential personnel, utility operators and repair personnel, and volunteers or employees of non-profit organizations providing emergency assistance associated with the storm.
State highways are unaffected by this decision, as they are under the jurisdiction of the Governor.
Every school district, SUNY Sullivan and many businesses have already closed. The County's road crews, 911 staff and Emergency Operations Center team continue to work around the clock, in association with State, town and Army National Guard personnel.
