 Good morning everybody. My name is Fabian Levy. I'm deputy mayor for communications for the city of New York Thank you for joining us today To update New Yorkers about the heavy rainfall and Flooding taking place across city and across New York City and parts of our state Our teams have been working diligently across city agencies and with our state partners to prepare them for the storm and protect our city Keeping New Yorkers safe and informed is our top priority, which is why we've brought together key leaders To brief the public this morning. We're joined by New York City mayor Eric Adams governor Kathy Hockel DEP commissioner writ Agrawala Nice and commissioner Zach Iskall as well as MTA CEO Jannu Lieber We're also joined this morning by NYPD chief of department Jeffrey Madry FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh DOE Chancellor David Banks New York City Health and Hospital CEO Mitch Katz Department of Transportation Commissioner Yadonis Rodriguez and senior vice president for corporate affairs at Con Edison Jen Hensley So without any further delay Mayor Adams, thank you. Thanks so much of Fabian and the entire team and New Yorkers for understanding How this rain condition that we are experiencing is something that we cannot take lightly and we have not taken Lightly this morning. I was out visiting East New York Flatbush, Karnasi and Sheepshead Bay to get a first-hand look at the impact of the rainfall and What it is doing to moving around the city Spoke with Governor Hockel who's here with us today. I want to thank you governor for once again Responding immediately and seeking out what it would ever help we need as a city and I really appreciate Communicating with you this morning. I am issuing a state of an emergency for New York City Based on the weather conditions, and I want to say to all New Yorkers. This is time for height and alertness and extreme caution If you are home stay home if you are at work or school Shelter in place for now Some of our subways are flooded and it's extremely difficult to move around the city Many of our area airports are experiencing delays And if you are out and encounter a flood a flooded area Be it on a roadway or a subway station do not enter take necessary precaution This is a dangerous Weather condition and it is not over and I don't want those gaps and heavy rain to give the appearance that it is over It is not we could possibly see eight inches of rain before the day is over City has already taken action to protect all New Yorkers including Rescuing those in need of help There was an issue on the belt Parkway by the Ocean Parkway exit Those are the types of roadway conditions. We're asking New Yorkers to avoid every single one of our agencies Has an emergency plan, and we are executing those plans We're ready, and you should be at well to be prepared for this moment Commissioner is cool from New York City emergency management will provide more detail updates To us on the situation throughout the city This is a time for caution, but it's also a time for community check on neighbors Do whatever is possible to unclog drain areas to allow the water to flow freely You would be surprised how if we remove leaves and of the trash from those areas It will really assist in getting water off our streets Check on your friends your relatives and especially those who are most vulnerable Such as the elderly and individuals with health conditions If the conditions are safe take time as I indicated get to clean out the debris from your drains particularly in between the Heavy rainfall and for the most accurate and timely updates sign up for notify NYC This is a moment to remind everyone of how important important notify NYC is those alerts go a long way To keep you ahead of what is happening. You could dial 311 or visit NYC dot gov Slash notify to subscribe. That's NYC Dot gov slash notify to subscribe, and you can also call 311 Being informed is the first step toward Ensuring their well-being of you and your family and your fellow New Yorkers and again I want to thank the entire team for their quick response And understanding that this is an extreme emergency Measures extreme emergency condition that we must be prepared for I want to turn it over to Governor Hoku Governor again, thanks so much. It was good talking to you this morning and your quick response to what is happening in our city area Really appreciate it Well, thank you mayor and once again I commend your leadership and the coordination between your team and our team at the state level It is seamless and the bottom line is we're here to help New Yorkers get through what is a a life threatening rainfall event And I agree with you that people should be able to stay home if possible but I know right now there's a lot of anxious parents wondering if they're going to be able to get their children home from schools and I'm working very close with Janet Lieber who'll give updates from the MTA but our priority once the immediate In the after immediate aftermath of this first wave of the storm and again it could come back again It could reemerge later again this afternoon But we want to make sure we get the subways the trains our communication System our transportation system up working because there's children who use the subways to get home from school People need to be able to know if they can get home from work And so that is priority number one to make sure that our subways and our rail systems are safe There have been significant disruptions without a doubt as truly heading north I just spoke to the county executive George Latimer of Westchester County The epicenter has shifted from the city regions very much so from Brooklyn and Queens and Manhattan where I spoke to the borough presidents to offer our assistance in the Bronx But is now heading north into the Hudson Valley. So we're also coordinating with those localities as well as Nassau County I will say this if people decide to venture out in a vehicle They do so at their own peril because even six inches of rain one foot of rain. It may look pretty innocuous It's safe, but that is a condition where your vehicle can be swept away And we lose more lives of people during flooding events of which we've had many especially this summer in the city and the Hudson Valley in particular The reason people lose their lives in a flood event more often than not is they're swept away in their vehicle So this is a choice. She will make we encourage them not to decide to do that. Please Stay home. Be safe. We'll we are deploying more buses We have more bus operators to be able to create options if we don't get the subways back on schedule the airports Right now terminal a at LaGuardia is closed because of flooding at a fuel field right now We brought in more resources from JFK to assist with that as well The flights are going in and out of the airports, but they are delayed and so people should check on The websites for that as well. Now. Also, we're trying to be as helpful as we can the city mayor You've been fantastic and we've deployed National Guard We've deployed a more pumps from our surplus to help you assist and everyone remembers what happened I was literally governor one week when Hurricane Ida hit and we walked those streets of Queens and many parts of the city and people literally drowned in their basement homes And so people also need to not get in vehicles But leave your home if you're starting to see water accumulate Don't wait until it's up to your knees or higher By then it could be a barrier to getting able to have access safely out the door as we saw before And so people really need to be taking this extremely seriously The state is there to help and I'll let we'll get through this together as we always do So thank you mayor for your coordination your outreach and uh look forward to continuing to work as we get through this event united as one Thank you very much governor huckle. Thank you mayor adams for the update Next we'll get a full update from new york city emergency management commissioner zack iskal Uh, thank you. Thank you, mr. Mayor. Thank you governor huckle First and foremost, I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude Uh to the emergency managers to our first responders our agency partners who've all been working tirelessly overnight and over the past day Preparing the city and and doing all they can to keep new yorkers safe They really are the backbone of of the city Our emergency operation center has been active and an operation to effectively coordinate our multi agency response to this ongoing weather crisis We have teams right now that are specifically focused on highway flooding Basement flooding and the impacts of the mta We're monitoring continuously a number of high-risk areas In order to deploy teams from different agencies to take immediate action as needed Uh through the day yesterday and today We've also been issuing really important safety messages and updates to the public It's crucial for everyone to stay tuned to the latest information as the mayor said that's the first line of defense Uh, we're also very fortunate. The national weather service is on site at our command center here at new york city emergency management They've been invaluable in providing real-time updates Allowing us to make sure that information is getting out to agency partners and the public with the most accurate forecasts And weather information as quickly as possible As I said, we're also in a very active response mode right now And we're confronting the severe weather conditions that are affecting our city as we speak A national weather service flood watch is in effect And let me be clear. We're taking this extremely extremely seriously Uh consultations with the national weather service began as early as wednesday They remain ongoing and we will continue to monitor this situation as it evolves This proactive approach is part of our flash flood plan Which is our comprehensive strategy that we've been honing over the years To make sure that we're able to respond effectively to situations just like this one I think it's worth mentioning that according to data from central park Today is the wettest day we've had since ita swept through the city a few years ago The governor was just talking about that event a week into her her tenure That's not a statistic to take lightly. It highlights just how crucial it is for all of us to pay close attention to the weather advisories And to always take the necessary precautions Uh, particularly in in brooklyn today and in parts of queens. We've seen significant flooding We expect another two to four inches of rain likely throughout this afternoon If you live in these boroughs or in a basement apartment or floodplain area Please make sure you have plans and are prepared to move to higher ground Your safety is our foremost concern We have multiple contingency plans in place, but ultimately, uh, You know, you are your first line of defense for yourself and your loved ones And that means acting on the information that we're able to provide Through things like notify nyc that the mayor mentioned um Also, uh, I urge everyone to extreme to exercise extreme caution Avoid flooded roadways If you are driving and I do not encourage you to be driving As the governor said even six inches of water can be very very dangerous Please take extreme caution particularly During high tides today throughout the city Um, we're also in constant communication with our law enforcement partners other agencies and community organization We're all working in lockstep to ensure your safety To that end, I do encourage everyone to sign up for notify nyc Mr. Mayor said, uh, you can sign up by going to nyc.gov backslash notify You can sign up by calling 311 or by downloading the app in both the google and the apple App stores it's available in 14 languages including american sign language And then as we start to shift into the recovery phase of this operation After the rain ends This evening and early tomorrow If you have damage You can now report damage to your home or your business as part of the city's damage reporting portal This is really easy to do. You can do report damage by calling 311 Or by visiting report damage dot nyc.gov So new yorkers, you know, we have a great history of coming together when it counts. We're going to do it again today Make sure to check in on your neighbors your loved ones, especially the most vulnerable Please pay a close attention to those alerts and advisories. They are designed to keep you safe. Thank you so much and stay safe Thank you very much commissioner iskall. Next we'll hear from new york city department of environmental protection commissioner red alcohol commissioner Good morning. Um just uh Just to build on commissioner iskall's points, um about the intensity of the rainfall, uh, You know, one of the things I think new yorkers should bear in mind is that Uh, when we see flooding we see it primarily due to the intensity of the rainfall in a certain period of time rather than the full duration Um, and as I think many new yorkers observed this rainfall started last night DEP started preparing for it yesterday around midday starting around 2 p.m. We were encouraging people to deploy the Flood barriers that DEP has been distributing to the most vulnerable new yorkers and we prepared by having Lots of crews on hand for today, which we knew would be busy The storm picked up significantly soon after 7 a.m. And I think new yorkers should be aware that between 8 and 9 a.m The brooklyn navy yard received 2.58 inches of rain in one hour Uh, and I think many of you know um in the aftermath of hurricane idah We were all educated about the fact that our sewer system was designed For 1.75 inches per hour And so it's no no surprise unfortunately as a result That that part of brooklyn and a couple of other particularly parts of brooklyn have borne the brunt of this The good news is we have a partially completed flood net system where we are able to monitor flooding on the roads In a couple of places that is en route to be completed over the next 2 to 3 years But right now what we have seen is that as the rain began to subside after 9 o'clock most many of those Flooding areas have begun to recede overall as we know This this changing weather pattern Is the result of climate change and the sad reality is our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond We have been working at the mayor's direction For well over a year on a significant medium term approach to increasing green infrastructure and expanding the sewer system But changing infrastructure takes time. It's one of the reasons for the for more than a year We've been doing things like distributing flood barriers and helping people understand how they can protect their own homes and properties and working with emergency management under commissioner's leadership To recognize that the weather can kill you and that we have to respond appropriately I appreciate very much our collaboration not only with my city colleagues But also of course with the governor and her team and we are in close touch with our state colleagues. Thank you Thank you commissioner Next we'll hear from mta ceo jano lieber before we open it up to q&a. See you Thank you Listen, this is a tough travel day There are significant portions of the subway system that are shut down We are starting the process of reactivating certain lines But when water covers the electrified third rail, we have to do inspections So that that will be unfolding slowly We do have a full bus system operation today There are about 3,500 buses out there and that's especially important as the governor says to get kids home from school So if you must travel and heed the the warnings of the governor and the mayor and others That it's not a day to travel if you don't have to but if you do buses are available We have full on island railroad service But metro north at this time has really been shut down all three trunk lines of metro north newhaven Harlem and hudson lions are shut down at this time because of water in the south bronx And we are developing a service plan hoping that we can That we can reactivate those those operations We're developing a limited service plan for this afternoon with the hope and expectation We'll be able to get everybody home The good news is that new yorkers heeded governor hawkel's warnings and the mta's warnings and the city's warnings From yesterday and we had it is a friday. It's a lighter than normal commute It's always a light day on friday and new yorkers listen One of the reasons that they listened is that we have really a strong text alert system And I urge everybody who doesn't have it to sign up for mta.info Slash notify In the meantime, if you have to travel if you are still out there, please consult the mta apps My mta the train time app and the mta website mta.info We have full up-to-date information as I said about half of the subway system Is either fully suspended or partially suspended But we are starting to to the process of trying to get some of those lines back the other positive news I would emphasize is that since hurricane i to two years ago Governor hawkel instructed us to work with the city to try to make some of the stations more resilient So we wouldn't have those impacts on customers that you saw a couple years ago That collaboration has produced results and to date there haven't been any of those crazy Washouts inside the stations though. As I said service has been affected. Please stay close to those mta apps for real-time information my mta the train time app and www mta.info. Thank you Thank you CEO Lieber and so with that we'll open it up to some on-topic questions Okay, just a reminder if you have a question To use the hand raised function on your screen We'll start with Ethan stark miller from am new york. Ethan. You can now unmute your line Can you hear me? Yeah, we hear you Um, okay, so question for mr. Mayor. I mean there are asylum seekers in shelters that are tent like facilities that creed more On randall's island Are they safe in those facilities with these conditions and is the city taking any steps to move them elsewhere? We have no reported conditions in those areas on randalls and in Decreta mall location and of course if there are any conditions That are dangerous We're going to make sure that people receive the proper care and make the proper movement Mayor I just got an update on randall specifically We've seen very minimal leaking at randalls island and any problems that will be very quickly addressed So we have no issues really at randalls island at this point Great next we'll go to katie honan from the city katie. You can now mute your line The question's briefly chancellor banks. There have been reports of schools flooding I saw someone tweet that the cafeteria was flooded students can't eat My question for you and I guess the question for the mayor is We've now new york city has been flooded for hours now. We're finally now hearing from the city press release I think for a lot of people doesn't count. Why did you not take more precautions when it came to schools? Students don't know how they're going to get home if the subways don't return service And and secondly, I don't know if there's any disruption with bus services And so I guess the question is for the chancellor Can you give an update on schools and which ones are flooded and for the mayor? Why did you not speak to new workers sooner about what is a very very serious flooding situation that we knew about for At least 24 hours Katie we're the chancellor is going to go into the school situation and what we have right now But we have number one notified nyc and using the various social media channels and Commissioner isko has been speaking about this from Afternoon yesterday. So all the necessary precautions were taken. We have gone through these flood related and heavy rain conditions before And we followed the right protocol and really take my hat off to commissioner hisko and the entire team as they put in place a situation Of communication using the virtual methods and monitoring the situation Really doing what needed to be done and making the right notifications and informations and constantly keeping new yorkers up to date Chancellor, can you go into the school situation? Where where are we at this time? Sure, ma'am. Uh, first of all, it's just important to note that all of our schools every single one of our schools are open Uh, we're actively monitoring the situation across all of our buildings Um, we uh, we have safety plans in place and that's important to note That and we have folks in our schools who are trained annually to prepare for days Just like this, um our building response teams They fully activated and our protocol is to in fact shelter in place Now we do have a portion of our schools approximately 150 out of the more than 1400 schools that we have That have in fact taken on some water as presented some challenge But nothing has impacted the ability for us to safely educate our students in any of those schools Our schools have safety plans in place And uh, and they are moving forward Uh, uh, and they're keeping us abreast the stuff is happening In real in real time Um, there's one school is actually evacuating currently due to a smoking boiler And that is ps 132 in brooklyn and it looks like there may have been some water that got into a boiler So we evacuated in that school to is 78 which is located three blocks away Um, that's the only school that we've had to uh to date to date. Uh at this time have to actually Evacuate um our facilities and the school construction authority are working together to quickly repair Any damage, uh, even now we've got folks out and many of these buildings in real time Uh, now, also, I want to note that we received multiple media inquiries about The davis the david booty school which is is 228 in brooklyn situation And the message that the prince would have school sent Was premature in telling parents to come up to get their kids, which was precisely the wrong thing to do The conditions are worse outside of the schools And so we'll be addressing that but as the rain lightens up We're continuing to monitor the situation And uh, what's also important is that our buses are preposition for dismissal We've been in touch with all of our vendors And their preposition means That they are staging early in order to have enough time to get our kids home These are high axle vehicles And they'll be able to navigate any water in the roadways So, uh, in closing, I would simply say, uh, our schools are open. We feel good We're fully prepared. We're ready to go. We have taken on some water But nothing that has created an infrastructure problem where we our kids are not safe our kids are safe And we are we're continuing to monitor the situation Thank you chancellor and just to add a little to what the mayor said earlier, uh, our first travel, uh, Or excuse me our first notify nyc alert went out yesterday afternoon around 2 50 p.m We one of the first, uh, efforts we took was issuing a travel advisory We've been in touch with local elected officials across the city We've also been working with nonprofits And like the mayor said, uh, commissioner iskall was out there doing interviews yesterday uh, commissioner iskall is a one of our top, uh, Spokesperson spokespeople for this administration. And so, uh, he speaks on behalf of the mayor every single day And commissioner iskall could you share a few words about our decision-making process for notifying people? And how we make sure that new yorkers take these notifications seriously by issuing them, uh, thoughtfully Yeah, so first off so notify nyc as I said it's available in 14 languages including american sign language Uh, we do a lot of programs, uh, especially since ita to really encourage new yorkers to sign up We've done a number of day of actions. We did one about a month ago in jackson heights and across the city Encouraging people not only to sign up for notify nyc, but to make sure they have the information they need For these types of flooding events including the distribution of flood alarms that people can then install in their homes In terms of notify nyc itself for these types of events Uh, we take information, you know, we work very very closely with the national weather service We take their alerts their warnings their analysis and we make sure that we then translate that Uh, literally to 14 different languages in american sign language But also, uh, so that the public can understand what that threat might be In addition to making sure we're providing information not just what the hazard is But the actions people can take to keep themselves their loved ones safe Thank you commissioner iskall For the next question, we'll go to juliet papa's juliet. You can now unmute your line juliet you there All right, we'll move to can you hear me? Yeah, we hear you now go ahead Yes, thank you. Uh, if the fire commissioner was on this call, I was wondering or who can answer this Uh, have there been basement apartment rescues? And if you have any sense of where and how many because ida there were fatalities at that time And uh, I was wondering if there are any fatalities so far today Hi, juliet. It's uh, commissioner cavanaugh. We have not had any fatalities today We have had a number of calls for basements People trapped in cars As you've probably seen from the coverage you can see our vehicles Out there all over the city, but we have not had any critical patients or fatalities yet today Just a follow-up on commissioner cavanaugh In the since the last update I received about an hour ago We've had reports for six basement apartments flooded and we've had successful rescues at each of those Thanks to add to that as the mayor had mentioned We were made aware yesterday through oem about this storm and we put additional high axle vehicles out Into our operations. So we had equipment. I was specifically available and ready for these types of rescues Next we'll go to kelly menna from new york one kelly. You can now unmute your line. Oh, hello. Okay My first question is to our banks. I'm wondering why the decision wasn't made to go remote today for students If it's such a severe day I mean parents have to travel to get their kids kids have to travel to schools We've heard from multiple officials to stay off the roads today And then to follow up on katie's question mayor adams. It's noon right now Why wasn't the decision to call a state of emergency at 8am when we knew that rainfall was getting intense First and the chancellor could talk about remote, but we should be clear That we have only a certain number of school days that we could utilize And we must make sure we meet that and as you see The decision was was the right decision. We do not have any issues dangerous issues at our schools Our children are in the schools. They're properly being educated And I believe the chancellor made the right call And if there was a need to Close the schools, he would have made that call. But this was the right call Our our children are safe in schools. It's stabilized the family They don't have a level of uncertainty of how to get to and from their office spaces There is a big inconvenience when you close the school and parents disrupt their normal Workflow and we disrupt a child's educations flow at the same time This was the right decision to do as we see we are continuously moving forward and our children are safe in their schools Schools are just do you want to add anything to that? Yeah, no just that I would echo what you said, mr. Mayor, you know, I've heard that on on on other occasions as well I don't want people to be very clear the decision to go remote is always the last option Uh, our kids need to be in school. This is where they also get their healthy meals As well This is what allows parents to be able to continue their day to get to work and do the other things that need to happen Whenever we make a decision to actually close schools. It is a major major disruption Um, and so it is it is really only used really as a as a last resort Um, and and I think in this case while this was a uh a tough day in terms of the rain Uh, it certainly did not put our our kids are not in danger All of our schools are open our teachers are in school our kids are in school and uh, and and doing and doing well We do have some schools which have had some flooding and we have to address that But but we treat taking the option of the remote learning day very very seriously And we use that as a last option It's just really commendable on how professional our school system our first responders On the exact exact team during these issues of Whether emergencies we still have to operate a city And our ability to do so is really commendable with the coordination from this team The city still has to operate with minimum disruption And that's what you saw in our school system as well as as of the deputy mayor pointed out That you know able to go in and do those rescues when it's needed and to notify people The city must continue to operate and we want to be clear on clear on that Zach can you talk about uh, the state of emergency state of emergency? Uh, that we're calling is based on conditions Um, not not based on predictions, you know, it's based on what condition but Zach can you go through that please? Absolutely, uh, so there's a number of different uses for a state of emergency and and I appreciate the question Um, you know the the issuing a state of emergency at 8 a.m. 7 a.m. 9 a.m. Or 10 a.m It's it's not going to impact our response or the work that we're currently doing A lot of the state of emergency is more about Things that we can then put in place should we need to around contracting around different rules Things like if we were going to issue a travel ban, which we are not at the state right now Where we would actually implement a travel ban, you know shutting down roads not enabling people to freely move around the city Uh, it's also something that becomes very very important as we move into the recovery phase Right, one of the things that's needed is is as we start to assess the damage that has occurred to either people's homes private personal property Businesses the state of emergency is something we can then use as we are going to the state and FEMA For additional support to aid and individual assistance Business loans or grants that can help people recover After the flood waters have receded I would also add that The governor issued her state of emergency This morning around the same time the decision was made here at city hall Mayor Adams made the decision around the same time So just because we're having the briefing now around 11 30 or 12 whatever it is right now Doesn't mean it wasn't uh the decision wasn't made earlier today Next we'll go to mark morales from cnn mark Mark you should be able to speak now All right, we'll go to the next one next. We'll go to craig mccarthy from the new york post craig. You can unmute your line Mr. Mayor, I just want to ask um So you say you don't need it your administration is saying you don't need to issue a state of emergency at 8 a.m Or 7 a.m. This is about recovery But when you're in the national weather service issued an alert at 8 24 this morning calling the flash flooding warning life threatening So why did it take hours then for you to tell the new yorkers to stay home? Uh, uh, zack, can you respond to that please? Yeah, I just want to issue a point of clarification What I went through is a whole list of reasons that you would use a state of emergency Preemptively you would do it if the situation might call for that in this case There was no need for additional resources that a state of emergency might provide Or things like, you know issuing a travel ban. There was no need for a state of emergency earlier to be able to do those types of things I have been in very close contact with my counterparts at both fema And the state around whether or not there were additional resources We might need to request, you know for things like life safety events But we have the resources here in the city through our incredible partners at fdny Ems nypd to be able to respond to those types of situations. Um, so I hope that answers your question Next we'll go to emma fit Simmons from the new york times emma you can unmute your line Hi, can you hear me? Yep, we can hear you emma Hi, um, good afternoon. So, um Mayor, I'm curious, you know, why it took so long for you to speak to the public Governor huckle was on the radio last night mta officials held a news conference and A lot of new yorkers, you know, we're we're worried this morning And facing these implications and why didn't they hear from you sooner? You know, I think it's so important as I've stated over and over again this administration operates as a team And I want my commissioners my deputy commissioners the leaders of this team Who are closest to the ground of a situation to communicate and that's what commissioners school did There was not an absence of a voice of this administration our team leaders That are on the front line. I'm you know, I'm just really pleased that I have strong competent leaders That understand their roles that they're supposed to play and I give them a clear mandate That if something is dealing with a particular issue in your catchment area I want you to lead from the front and you see that over and over again You see it with the chancellor you see it with of commissioner cabernoff You see it with all of our leaders and that's what uh, zack did you heard from my representative And he did a good job of informing the public and that's what you're going to continue to see Throughout this administration. We have good team leaders that are competent that understand the subject matter And they know how to lead The leadership is not only the mayor it is all of those who are placed in those positions and that's what you saw And just to go back to craig's previous question. He asked about why Timing on a travel advisory So I would just again point out a travel advisory was one of the first measures put in place by this administration And the notify nyc alert first came out at 250 yesterday. So the advisory was in place That's a different thing than a state of emergency The Commissioner iskall wants to add something commissioner. Yeah, so he's just confirming. Yes the travel advisory went out yesterday. That's correct All right, we have time for two more We'll go to annie mcdenna. Annie you can unmute your line Questions, uh, first, do you have advice on where people living in basement apartments or experiencing flooding should go Where they should move to higher ground in that event or their city locations where they could go and access Somewhere to be if they're experiencing flooding at home and second for the mayor Can you talk more about what you saw in east new york this morning? Were you examining street conditions talking to residents? What exactly were you doing there? the the issues around Basement apartments and where we're going to have people the first order business to make sure we properly rescue And we will have sites for those who can't go with families and friends We will always provide shelter for those who are in need and we will navigate that I was in east new york over at the christin cultural center for unfortunately A loss of a police a former retired police officer And while I was there, I took the opportunity to go through east new york and to khanasi Into the flat bush area as well as the sheepshead bay area to get an observation On what was happening on the ground prior to doing this press advisory Our last question will go to joe anuda from politico joe. You can unmute your line Joe going once Hey, mr. Mayor I was wondering actually for the oem commissioner commissioner iskall Can you just give us a sense of the media hits that you've mentioned that you did yesterday to warn new yorkers? And then for a dp commissioner, can you talk a little bit about When you started clearing catch basins, how many you cleared just describe the operation a little more. Thank you Yep, absolutely. I did a 1010 winds hit and uh, and then did a fox weather hit And then we've also as the mayor has noted sent out the notify nycs the press releases the travel advisories social media posts in addition to all the other messaging that was coming from the city All right, that's all the time we have and then hold on. Do you want me to answer the other part? Oh, sorry about that commissioner Yeah, um, so just uh Yesterday morning the flash flood. I don't have the precise time. Uh, the flash flood plan was uh, activated yesterday morning And as per that plan dep along with several other city agencies sanitation dot a couple of other agencies that have crews on the roads We have a list of priority Intersections which are highly vulnerable to flooding or are important for some way in fact over the last two years We've worked closely with the mta to make sure that catch basins that could affect subway stations are on that list I don't have an exact number. I would probably get it Later today of how many catch basins we checked and cleaned in those 20 from in those 12 hours I guess before the rain started but that is what we do the day before As well as get ready for uh for the staffing and and that's why We actually canceled some holidays that people had scheduled and things like that to make sure we had full crews on site Today across the city Thank you commissioner. Thank you everybody for joining us today. If you have additional questions, please reach out to our press office Have a good day. Be safe. Thank you