Salko Camo of the New York State Department of Transportation held a news conference to warn of upcoming severe weather, including unprecedented rainfall and potential flooding. He advised residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as many roads may close. The DOT will work to ensure precautions are taken and mitigate risks, but 4 inches of rainfall per hour could flood streets and infrastructure. Residents should have supplies and follow local news and emergency hotlines for updates.

1. NEWS CONFERENCE STATEMENT
News Conference Statement: Upcoming Weather
Salko Camo
Executive Director, New York State Department of Transportation
Date: April 6th, 2018 Time: (9:00 a.m. to noon) Time Zone: (EST)
Good morning. My name is Salko Camo and I am here on behalf of the New York State
Department of Transportation. With the snow melting and the unprecedented rain fall expected to
hit the entire state of New York within the next few days, myself, along with the rest of the
department of transportation, will be working hard to ensure that all the correct precautions are
being taken. Our biggest concern at the moment is the potential flooding that is expected to occur
due to the upcoming storm and the melting of the snow. Much of New York's infrastructure —
particularly low-lying and poor drainage areas in New York City— cannot cope with rainfall of
more than one inch per hour. An estimated 4 inches of rainfall per hour may hit the region. City
streets can become rivers in seconds. Blocked catch basins, storm drains, water main breaks and
sewer lines can also lead to flooding.
We strongly recommend that everyone takes the correct precautions by staying indoors
and avoiding any unessential travel while we work hard to return the roads to normal. Flash
flooding is the No. 1 cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms as flash floods can strike any
time with little or no warning. For those of you who travel for business, we recommend working
out alternate work arrangements. Areas with greater chances of flooding will be closed, as well
as all schools. For essential travel, be sure to check your local news as there is a high potential
for roads being closed. The emergency information hotlines will be available for New York State
residents at 1-800-NYS-RAIN and New York City residents at 212-NYC-RAIN.
Copyright©2018 Salko Camo
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2. The potential severity of these next few days is immense and we must all take the correct
precautions to pass through the weather with minimum damage. Be sure to have nonperishable
food items and water in your homes as the weather may delay safe travel for areas of high risk.
Safety is our number one objective as we will be working hand-in-hand to ensure that any
potential risks are being mitigated. Thank you and stay safe.
Tweets:
@SalkoCamo: “With bad weather expected, be sure to avoid all unessential travel as there is
high potential for closed roads.”
@SalkoCamo: “Follow @NYSDOT for news on upcoming storm.”
@SalkoCamo: “We are working hard to mitigate the upcoming weather situation. Stay Safe New
York!”
Copyright©2018 Salko Camo
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