With temperatures expected to rise in the coming days, New York state officials are warning of possible ice jams on rivers and streams.
On a conference call with reporters Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo asked local governments to prepare for potential flooding caused by ice jams.
“The problem we’re anticipating is large chunks of ice that are thick, thicker than normal, larger than normal because of the extreme cold. And those pieces of ice, once they start to break up, can clog rivers and streams and create serious flooding.”
Cuomo, a Democrat, urged municipalities in need of ice-breaking equipment to contact the state Office of Emergency Management.
An ice jam on the Hudson River last week has been blamed on several vessels breaking loose from their moorings and floating downriver from Troy to Albany.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the department has been working with State Police and the Department of Transportation to “scour the banks” of the Hudson River and ensure all vessels are appropriately secured.
“At this point, it looks good. We would certainly encourage anyone that has a floating structure, a boat of any kind along any waterway, just to make they’re tied down and out of harm’s way.”
According to forecasts, high temperatures could reach into the 50s on Tuesday.
