Suozzi Announces Six-Day Hurricane Drill

Nassau Partners with Neighboring Counties
to Test Readiness to Evacuate & Shelter Residents

Mineola, NY (5/21/2008) – Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi today announced that Nassau – along with Suffolk and Westchester Counties, Yonkers, the Port Authority and New York State – is taking part in a Regional Hurricane Exercise, May 30 and June 4.

A series of drills during the six-day event will test the County’s readiness to shelter and evacuate residents, and to accommodate those with special needs, in case a major hurricane hits. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30.

“Government’s primary and most important role is to do all it can to ensure public safety,” Suozzi said. “This series of real-time exercises will help us be prepared – not scared – in case a major hurricane hits our shores.”

The exercises in this multi-day drill include:

• May 31, the Red Cross will open two shelters and run “evacuees” through the registration process.
• The shelters will be at McKenna Elementary School in Massapequa and Locust Valley High School.
• June 1, the Nassau County and New York City police departments will test the Route 878 Evacuation Route in Inwood.
• June 3, the Nassau County Department of Health will open a special needs shelter at Kellenberg High School.
• June 2-4, the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will operate a three-day drill, responding to a category 2 hurricane making landfall in Nassau County. (A Homeland Security grant will pay overtime costs.)

“We are making all necessary preparations in case, God forbid, we are in the path of a major storm,” Suozzi said. “We are stockpiling tractor trailers of food and water. We’ve identified shelters, including ones that can accommodate our more vulnerable residents. And we are doing all we can to ensure our emergency communications systems remain up and running.”

Suozzi also urged residents to make their own preparations, including stocking a three-day supply of food and water, purchasing battery-operated radios and flashlights and creating family emergency plans.