Here’s the good news: the Upper West Side is the second-most elevated area in New York City after Washington Heights.
Here’s the bad news: Zabar’s is already closed and will be closed on Monday. As for Tuesday, who knows.
More disturbing news: The residents who live in boats at the 79th Street boat basin have all evacuated. During Hurricane Irene, the Boat Basin residents were supposed to evacuate but some didn’t, Councilwoman Gale Brewer says. “Residents of the Boat Basin really know the forecast.”
So, apparently this is real. Apple employees lined the front of the store with sandbags. Times Square is eerily empty. Some stores have even boarded up their windows. And Upper West Siders have hoarded food like it was an Olympic sport.
Update: Dramatic photo gallery from after Hurricane Sandy here.
As we wrote earlier, the subways and buses have already been shut down and will likely be shut down until Wednesday. Do not go into the parks until further notification, and be wary of branches overhead. And school is closed on Monday and may be closed Tuesday too.
If you have a porch, you should bring your stuff inside. And then plan to hunker down. Our columnist Melissa has a piece on walking her dog in a hurricane.
The only “evacuation zone” in the Upper West Side for now is Riverside Park. From the city’s Hurricane map, which we’ve embedded below, the buildings on Riverside Boulevard do not appear to be in the evacuation zone (so far, only the red Zone A has been evacuated.) Of course, if you live at the Boat Basin, you should evacuate.
Here’s what you should put in your “go bag” courtesy of Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal:
- Water, 1 gallon/person/day
- Food, non-perishable
- Flashlight
- Batteries
- Hand-crank portable radio
- First Aid Kit
- Medications, at least a week’s supply
- Multi-purpose tool
- Personal hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc)
- Copies of personal documents and important paperwork (identification, lease/deed, medical/homeowners/rental insurance, passports etc)
- Cell phone and chargers
- Family emergency contact info
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Baby and pet supplies
- Extra set of house/car keys
- Camera for photos of damage if any
- Tools to secure home if necessary
The following spots are evacuation centers, and all of them supposedly allow you to bring your dogs:
- John Jay College, 445 West 59 Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, NY NY
- Louis D. Brandeis High School, 145 West 84 Street, between Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue, NY NY
- I.S. 118, 154 West 93 Street, between Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue, NY NY
More information can be found at the city’s severe weather website and the “get prepared” website.
Send us tips, photos and stir-crazy musings at info@westsiderag.com. And stay safe!
Here’s a live video feed from the Weather Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4wS4Y3jWl0&feature=player_embedded
And here’s the city’s evacuation map:
Photo via NASA.
unreal!!!