THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 19, 2006, UPDATED 6:07 P.M.E.D.T.: David Maloney, spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office as White Plains copes with Wednesday evening’s weather event that swept havoc and destruction through the Highlands, Saxon Woods, and Gedney Farms reports that Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti has promised all roads will be open by tomorrow morning. Maloney said over 100 streets in White Plains had been made impassable by trees and fallen wires, and that Nicoletti reports just 27 locations remain to be cleared. Maloney also reports that North Street closed all day has opened as of 4 P.M.

As of 6 P.M., Con Edison spokesperson, Elizabeth Clark said the number of customers without electricity in White Plains stood at “a little over 5,000,” down from the 5,561 figure an hour ago. A Con Edision Press Spokesperson as of 4:30 P.M. told WPCNR that 5,561 customers in White Plains are without power at this time. (As of midnight last night, Con Ed had only reported 85 without power, but obviously that was before all reports came in. The 5,561 figure is the first figure for White Plains issued since that time.)

Victoria Hochman of the County Department of Communications told WPCNR there are no cooling centers or relief centers set up for victims without power in the county at this time. The City of White Plains as of this hour has not set up any such centers either, according to Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office.

“The areas that are going to be worked on all night tonight will be Gedney Farms and the Highlands. The streets that are now open (as of 4 P.M.) are: Mamaroneck Avenue, Rosedale, Bryant, Ridgeway, North Street and Old Mamaroneck is open” Maloney said at 4 P.M. 

“The problem is of all the locations because they were the hardest hit, the Highlands and Gedney Farms, you have power lines tangling in with the fallen trees. Con Ed and DPW still have joint crews going out. Con Ed cuts the power and DPW is going to continue this with bucket trucks and ground crews and so they’ll be working on that all night, ” Maloney explained. Maloney said the city will also be clearing all the debris out of the streets “so they  can get in.”

Asked about what the number of outages in White Plains  was, Maloney said, “I still don’t have that from Con Ed. I did speak to Buddy (Nicoletti) and he mapped out the pattern on how they’ll clear this. He’s working with Con Ed now, he just had a meeting with them. But I don’t have numbers on the outages yet. I’ll still work on it. Just so we’re clear on this.”

Shortly after Mr. Maloney told us this, WPCNR recontacted Con Edison and received the report that 5,561 customers were without power.

Maloney said, “the weather service has been in contact with Buddy, and they are reviewing aerially White Plains, doing a survey from the air, and the NOAA, the federal weather service, they’re going to make a determination (what thestorm was) in a few days, apparently.”

County thanks Con Ed for their performance.

In a news release from the Westchester County Department of Communications, County Executive Andy Spano thanked Con Ed for their response (though Con Ed has not recontacted WPCNR with updated exact numbers of White Plains customers without power, despite repeated requests through the day — and has not informed White Plains how many are without power.

The county news release fed the media at approximately 3 P.M. stated:

·        The county has been in touch with municipalities to set up “cooling centers” as needed, and to deal with other emergencies.

WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP. July 19, 2006 UPDATED 12 NOON E.D.T.: The Mayor’s Office updated its report on road closings, announcing moments ago that according to the White Plains Police Department, Ridgeway Avenue is closed  to Allen Street — where Ridgeway begins to be closed was not reported; Sections off North Street, Old Mamaroneck Road and Bryant Avenue are closed. No further details available. Proceed with caution.

Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains main North-South artery is now reported by a motorist to be open in both directions, but proceed with caution as not all traffic lights are operating.

Katz, speaking to WPCNR moments ago (11:45 A.M.) said the Archbishop Stepinac High roof has been peeled back as if opened like a can opener, and has sustained major roof damage. He also reports a tree having downed a telephone pole at the corner of Ridgeway and Mamaroneck Avenue, and says motorists should be careful driving because traffic lights are not working in certain areas of Mamaroneck Avenue. He says damage is widespread, “catastrophic,” consistent with damage inflicted by tornados. He reports Bryant Avenue is closed in both directions in the Highlands, there are numerous sideroads blocked off by yellow tape, but motorists are not advised WHERE to go. “It is a mess out there,” he said.

According to the Westchester County Department of Communications, Con Edison reports 25,000 customers are without power as a direct result of the storm. The Con Edision press office has not gotten back to WPCNR on the specific number of White Plains homes without power (reported as 85 as of midnight last night). Moments ago, all the Con Ed Press Office would say about White Plains Power Outages at this hour is “we have not broken it down yet, there are 25,000 scattered outages across the county.”

Big Blow Down: A common scene on Ridgeway Avenue this morning in White Plains. 40 foot uprooted trees fell into yards and houses by a violent nocturnal visitor. Photo by Juliana Bailey, WPCNR News.

UPROOTED Pine Tree on Havilands Lane. The scene was repeated by the score across the city’s Southend in a Northwesterly to Southeast “Swath of Destruction,” Photo by Juliana Bailey, WPCNR News.

A growing traffic tie-up exists as of the 10 A.M. hour on Westchester Avenue Westbound into White Plains due to  backup extending  back to the Westchester County Airport exit on Southbound I-684. North Street Southbound is backed up  past Bryant Avenue, because  White Plains Police have North Street closed in both directions at Ridgeway Avenue, and detouring vehicles onto Ridgeway Westbound. Traffic is reportedly backed up on Route 119 Eastbound into White Plains as is Central Avenue northbound into White Plains, according to David Maloney, the Mayor’s Office spokesperson who had just commuted in from that area.  

Jim Benerofe, reporting from his office, is a resident of the Gedney Farms area (where his home was without power). He reports damage in the Gedney area as “massive,” one neighbor’s house he observed was “trashed.” He reports trees, wires down throughout the Gedney Farms  area. Aaron Wordin, reported as of 8:45 A.M. that the Gedney area streets were a series of taped off blind alleys, requiring him to wend his way out, and he reported seeing no signs of “recovery” activity, no Con Edison trucks.

Benerofe also said the Department of Public Works  is of the opinion that the storm that moved through White Plains moving Northwest to Southeast last night between 10 P.M. and midnight, hatched a tornado, citing a Public Works report that concrete slabs had been ripped off the top of Archbishop Stepinac High School and “tossed like sticks.”   Peter Katz motoring through the city earlier this morning reported seeing trees sheared off at their tops “consistent with tornado damage.”  Katz also said apparently an observer has told him that the roof of Archbishop Stepinac High has been severely damaged by the storm.