B-Roll, Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Holds Briefing to Update New Yorkers on the Weather

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on a potent coastal storm that began impacting Long Island, New York City, and the Mid-Hudson region yesterday with rain, strong winds, and storm surges. The Governor continues to caution New Yorkers, particularly those in shoreline and low-lying coastal communities on Long Island, in New York City and the lower Mid-Hudson, to take necessary precautions as high winds will cause power outages, dangerous surf, with the potential for coastal and isolated flooding. Governor Hochul declared a State of Emergency yesterday for Long Island, New York City and Westchester County and activated the State Emergency Operations Center.

B-ROLL of the Governor's walkthrough with Commissioner Terry O'Leary at the State Emergency Operations Center is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you for joining us this morning for this important report. The dangerous nor'easter we've been warning about for days has arrived. Yesterday, I declared a state of emergency, and now the storm is literally bearing down on coastal areas of Long Island, New York City and Westchester. A storm we cannot take lightly, a storm that poses significant risk to our coastal communities. So I know if you're living in any of these areas, I'm sure there's a high level of anxiety about the safety of your homes and your families. And that's why it was important for you to hear directly from me on what is being done to protect you, your family and your community.

We're here at the state-of-the-art State Emergency Operations Center in Albany. This is the nerve center for any storm, big storm response. I was here probably last during a major snow event. But I have the best in the nation when it comes to combating Mother Nature, and I'm glad I have on my side Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O'Leary - very seasoned pro dealing with storms, particularly the weather, snow events - Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, members of our state police here, and we also have Pete Cichetti, the Director of the New York State Office of Emergency Management, and Colonel Richard Mazone, the Deputy Superintendent of the Field Command, New York State Police.

And I just came through the command center, and there are people who are here working so hard with their talents to monitor the weather, to track the cameras, to talk about where we can deploy swift water rescue or more DOT teams. And so they're all here in this space with me on a Saturday morning. I want to tell them and their families how grateful we are for their service. They are working literally around the clock.

Just briefly on the latest forecast and conditions, so let's get right into it. The rain is underway, and while it's only a half an inch or so this far, mark my words, much more is coming. On Long Island, we're still expecting between four and six inches of rain over the next three days. In New York City, even the projected rain totals have gone up slightly. We're now expecting three to six inches of rain there. But our biggest concern is coastal flooding. I just saw the maps, and you can see the surge and what the tide is doing, and the tracking of the projection of what's going to happen over the next 12 hours. The worst flooding is expected to be during this morning's high tide along the South Shore, and we're seeing that right now in real-time cameras, as well as South New York Harbor - just looked at images of the Battery with about a foot of water on the boardwalk on the promenade - coastal areas of the Bronx, coastal areas of Westchester and northern Nassau along the Long Island Sound.

So a coastal flooding warning remains in effect, and it'll be worse during the high tides, as I mentioned. And with tonight's full moon, the tides may even be higher. We expect waves as tall as 20 feet in some areas. Winds will be just as powerful as the waves. Wind gusts exceeding 50, even 60 miles an hour have already been recorded on Long Island. New York City has already seen isolated wind gusts of 51 miles per hour. That is strong, it's ferocious and it needs to be taken seriously.

We expect this weather pattern to continue and even intensify over the next day. Winds may continue to reach up to 60 miles per hour at the height of the storm. This could, and it already has been, bringing down trees and power lines, and cause power outages. Right now in New York, we already have around 22,000 outages and expect many more as the winds continue. People should also be concerned about the possibility of isolated flash flooding. But the main flooding event is along coastal roads and low-lying coastal neighborhoods. Like I said, in New York City, I'm talking about places like the Rockaways, Coney Island, and Broad Channel. Specifically on Long Island, communities like Atlantic Beach, Freeport, Lindenhurst.

Here's what we're doing at the state level. As I've said, we've been preparing for this storm literally for days. This is an all-hands-on-deck approach. We're utilizing every resource at our disposal. All week, our emergency management field teams have been coordinating closely with local partners across Long Island, New York City and the lower Hudson Valley.

My job as Governor is to ensure that every locality has the support they need to keep people safe. On Long Island, I called both County Executives - spoke with Ed Romaine in Suffolk, certainly left a message for Bruce Blakeman to let him know on Nassau County - any help you need, we are there, and we are on the ground, and we're embedded in the emergency operation centers there as well. They need to know we are there for anything. And those two counties have already opened up their emergency operation centers, and I have staff from Terry's team dedicated to both to ensure that everyone is aligned in response, and we are there to respond for any requests for help.

In my direction, swift water rescue teams are deployed in Suffolk and Nassau County - close to where we're already seeing the flooding - and are ready to respond if necessary. These teams are supported by our parks department and the DEC.

And the State DOT and the Thruway Authority are also ready to respond with personnel and equipment pre-positioned statewide. DOT has nearly 3,400 employees out there looking for damage on the roads. Cut-and-toss crews are also pre-staged to help DOT teams clear any debris and ensure that the utility teams have room to do their jobs to restore power.

Across the state, New York's utilities have approximately 5,800 workers available. Con Ed has secured over 300 additional workers. LIPA and PSEG has 900 workers on Long Island, and an additional 500 ready to deploy as needed. They'll handle damage assessment, response, repair, restoration. Utilities know if they need to resurge additional crews, State Troopers and State Fire will assist, as well as be there to assist stranded motorists on the roads.

Our transportation agencies are also keeping a very close eye on this storm. In New York City, MTA employees are poised to address any weather-related impacts. So far, trains are running as expected, but we did put in storm doors at the rail yards at Coney Island and Howard Beach to keep the floodwaters from flowing in and mitigate any impacts on our trains.

The Port Authority is closely monitoring forecasts and coordinating closely with airport operators. So far, air travel impact is minimal, but we do expect delays and cancellations to mount as the day goes on and the storm picks up. So if you're flying, keep a close check on your flight. And because of high winds, MTA Bridges and Tunnels have issued a ban on all empty trailer tractors and tandem trucks. State Troopers, State Fire and specialized units stand ready to assist stranded motorists.

So what does all this mean for the weekend ahead? Here's the bottom line: Stay out of the water. Although we just saw a surfer on one of the cameras off the coast of Long Island. Stay out of the water. Stay away from the water. Don't go near boats. Just be smart if you live in those coastal areas, because between the vicious rip currents, the heavy winds and the mammoth waves, conditions are extremely dangerous. Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life.

Stay clear of downed power lines - report them if you see them. Never drive through water that you can't see through, and sometimes it often is much deeper than it even seems to appear. Also secure your outdoor items, and people living in low-lying areas might want to move their vehicles elsewhere so they don't risk the damage that can occur from flooding. Prepare for power outages - that means flashlights. Make sure your cell phones are charged, ready to go and make sure you have fresh batteries on hand.

As always, as New Yorkers, we look out for each other. Check on your neighbors and friends and family members, especially the elderly, to ensure they're safe and prepared. This is a longer scale event than most fall rain events. Early autumn, this time of year is typically glorious. It's beautiful, but that's just not our reality for the next 48 hours.

So, what to do? The New York Times just dropped their list of the 100 best shows of the 21st century. Here's my advice: Pick something on the list, binge on it, stay home.

Don't take this lightly. Don't tempt Mother Nature. Don't risk your life. Keep monitoring local forecasts. Stay vigilant, stay dry, stay alert and stay safe this weekend.