Westchester Officials Discuss Storm Preparedness Amid Major U.S. Hurricanes
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Westchester County is taking action to prepare in the event of storm activity.
As WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reported, Westchester County has gathered first responders and other officials each year since Superstorm Sandy in 2012 to discuss event preparedness in case another storm hits.
It just so happened that this year's fell right in the middle of major hurricanes.
County Executive Rob Astorino said they have learned a lot since Sandy, especially the importance of local officials having the power to make decisions.
"If it got caught in the bureaucracy, it just stalled everything and that added to frustration and also put everybody is a dangerous situation," Astorino said.
He said coordination and communication are key, especially for the public.
"If you have a mandatory evacuation and people don't leave, they need to realize that nobody is coming to get them for a long period of time and so they are putting themselves at risk," Astorino said.