Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul is a Guest on 1010 WINS to Update New Yorkers on Extreme Weather

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on 1010 WINS to update New Yorkers on extreme weather as a winter storm system is poised to dump more than a foot of snow in the Mid-Hudson Region and cause dangerous travel conditions throughout Downstate.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: Governor Hochul joining us live on 1010 WINS to talk about the response to this storm. As we just heard Joe say, three to six inches in the City. Governor, as much as 10 farther north. That's a lot of snow.

Governor Hochul: It sure is. It's how Mother Nature is sending her love for Valentine's Day with the biggest snowstorm to hit New York City in three years.

So, we've been preparing for this, and as you can see, it's starting to develop now. It will be wrapped up early this afternoon, but it still creates a very hazardous commute and we're encouraging people to use public transportation. We expect all of our trains and subway lines to be on time, which is important, but also, working from home is a great day.

So, kids are home, enjoy the kids, but we're expecting to see really the most significant snow we've seen in a long time. And just to stay home if you possibly can.

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: So, we know that the local sanitation departments are out there doing the salting. They're getting ready to plow as soon as we've got two inches of snow on the ground.

What is the state's role in this so everybody understands what is the state doing to make sure everybody's okay?

Governor Hochul: Well, we pre-deployed 1,800 plows already from Long Island through New York, through the Mid-Hudson region. So, we get ready. We have the sanders, the salters, we have everyone there. Also, what's important is we deploy 6,400 utility workers who are standing by.

We have people in the Bronx and Westchester, Orange and Rockland right now, because as the winds kick up and brings down power lines and trees, we want to minimize any length of time that people could be without power, especially with kids. I raise kids up in Buffalo and I know how frightening it can be when you're home with little ones and the power's out and it gets cold.

So, we take this very seriously. So, it's about getting the roads ready, having our plows in place, but also the utility crews who are ready to step in if necessary.

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: We got the word from Putnam County this morning that they have closed non-essential government offices. What about state offices? Anything to know about that?

Governor Hochul: State offices are open right now. It's something we're monitoring, but they're all open, ready to serve the public.

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: You started talking about mass transit. We were supposed to hear from the MTA live on 1010 WINS. That is actually not happening now. So, are you hearing of any issues at this point? I think Metro North is doing a slightly modified schedule.

Governor Hochul: Slightly modified and we encourage you everyone to keep track of that, but our objective is to keep the trains running as close to schedule as possible, even through the most difficult snowstorm because this is your alternative to being on the roads.

So, we are blessed with a very robust system that's available just about everywhere in the City and Downstate. You can always find a train or a subway, and this is just not a day to be on the roads. The buses will be running and getting people to and from their jobs with ease compared to someone attempting to drive in themselves.

So, right now, things are looking pretty much on-schedule, but that's always subject to change if there's an incident. So, we want to make sure no one's left without their ride. So, keep checking in our monitors and on the website.

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: You know, it's interesting, we haven't seen a snow like this in the City in two years, so folks may be tempted to be a little blasé about it. What do you say to them about that?

Governor Hochul: Well, have fun in it. I mean, I'm from Buffalo. I know how much fun snow can be, so have fun with the kids. They may not see it again for a few more years, but that being said, it can be very icy when there's something called black ice. It looks like it is just water on the roads – it's actually frozen.

And this is when we have people slipping and falling on sidewalks or if you are driving, it's not normal conditions. Your car will not be able to handle the roads the way it would on dry pavement, and you just have to be much more attuned and aware of your surroundings and watch out for people who may not be able to stop at an intersection, they may end up rolling through it.

So, these are all from my own life's experiences. I'm quite an expert in dealing with snow. And so, it's all about being prepared, warning people. But then once it starts, making sure that you have all the resources necessary to help anybody who's needed. And number one for us is the power, but also keeping the roads as clear as possible.

We take every storm seriously because they also can escalate. We saw that in Buffalo just even this year. We were predicting a certain scale of a storm and predictions shifted. It got much more intense. And they can be life-threatening if people are out there stranded on the roads and it's dark.

And so, I know the treacherous side of it, but also, embrace it, enjoy it. And it's a great day for kids to be home doing the remote learning, make sure the kids are doing their work, but also at the end of the school they get out there and have some fun.

Susan Richard, 1010 WINS: Alright, Governor Hochul live on 1010 WINS. Thank you so much for taking the time.

Governor Hochul: Thank you. Bye-bye.