Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on MSNBC with Nicolle Wallace

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on MSNBC with Nicolle Wallace, where she provided an update on the latest storm recovery efforts and emphasized the urgent need for more resilient infrastructure to protect communities from storm damage.

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

Nicolle Wallace: Joining our coverage is New York Governor Kathy Hochul. It's a pleasure to get to talk to you. I wonder if you could tell us where we are. Are we still in a rescue operation, or have you been able to assess the damage?

Governor Hochul: We're ending operations and I want to tell you that it was absolutely devastating to go see what New Yorkers had to endure last night, especially with that one hour from 8:51 to 9:51, when literally the heavens broke open and we saw records shattered in Central Park and at the airports throughout Long Island, and I spent the morning assessing the damage, going out and meeting with elected leaders, talking to President Biden about our situation, but it's still bad. There are still streets in the Bronx that look like rivers, and I'll be going to inspect those in person as well. I was in Queens earlier and Long Island. In Westchester we have a community, Mamaroneck, which has been absolutely devastated as well.

We're not out of it yet but in the last hour I signed a declaration requesting support from the federal government, federal emergency declaration for 14 downstate counties. President Biden said, Kathy, whatever you need we'll get it to you. Just tell me and we'll get it there as soon as possible. We're working on that but we're still not quite out of the effects. It's a beautiful day in New York and what a contrast from just a few hours ago, but we're not completely out of the woods yet.

Nicolle Wallace: When New Yorkers stop asking leaders like yourself when we'll be back to normal in the COVID context and in other ways, but I don't need to tell you, back to school is super fraught for New York parents. There still isn't a vaccine for any child under 12. This adds to a lot of anxiety. Will the subways be up and running before New York public schools go back to school?

Governor Hochul: Yes and I want to commend all the transit workers and the MTA for what they've done. Most of our subways have been restored. We're still working on a few lines on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North but overall when you think about it, it was Niagara Falls going down the staircases of our subway just last night. Most of the service has been restored so that won't have any effect on our schools. The kids will be fine going back. Our communities will be back to normal.

You have to give a lot of credit to people like a woman, Rosa, who is a bus driver. I went and thanked because she drove, and the pictures of this went viral, she drove with four feet of water not just on the streets but in her bus and there were people clinging to the ceiling on their seats to not be swept away while on the bus. So I went out to the station and thanked these heroes, the bus drivers and the transit workers for doing what they're doing. Because they're so dedicated and the tracks are being repaired, I witnessed the work of our local transit workers fixing the railroads, we're going to be fine. We're going to get it all back up and running.

But I'm not satisfied with a number of things, the response, the early warning system, which I think could have been better. But I will have a full after-action report and make sure we're addressing these challenges not just for today but for the future as well.

Nicolle Wallace: I saw the Queens borough president on television describing one of the tragic losses of life, a family living in a basement apartment. Based on your comments today about climate change being here to stay and never describing anything as unprecedented or historic, will you change the regulations for where people can live if this is the new normal?

Governor Hochul: You know, that's what's so sad. Most of the loss of life was either someone in a vehicle, and we found some really tragic situations where people were separated and their cars were swept away, but also there's a large number of people who don't just go down to basement because it's the rec room where they're going to watch TV down in the man cave -that's where they live. We need to take a look at the security of those environments because what has happened is that in the past most of our cataclysmic storms were brought by hurricanes or superstorms that affected our coastal areas. Now we're seeing the rain come from above, and it's not just affected by wind on our shores. We're seeing unprecedented flash floods in the city. Never before have we seen this measure of devastation from the flash floods, and what we have to do is build resiliency literally in the storm sewers and the drainage systems and we're going to work on that, but in the meantime you're right, these people living in basements are vulnerable and that's something I am going to look at.

Nicolle Wallace: Governor, we read a lot about you and got to know you in the most extraordinary sort of transition to power, but I wanted to ask you, I know you spent a lot of time in New York State's rural communities and i wanted to read something about the impact of climate change on America's rural communities and ask you about it. "Climate shocks are pushing small rural communities, many of which were already struggling economically to the brink of insolvency. Rather than bouncing back, places hit repeatedly by hurricanes, floods and wildfires are unraveling. Residents and employers leave, the tax base shrinks, and it becomes even harder to fund basic services." I wonder if you can speak to the toll that climate change is taking on communities outside of New York City, the things we're maybe not seeing on the news today.

Governor Hochul: What you don't see in the news today is the effect of climate change on our farmers. New York State is the number one grower for 10 produce areas, apples and a lot of products that we bring to the market and really feed most of America and as a result of climate change we have had cataclysmic events affecting our farmers as well. They're a part of our upstate economy. I'm concerned about that and have had a lot of conversations with them.

Also, we are trying very hard to build resiliency in downtowns. We've had small downtowns just hours from New York City be swept away with, again, the effects of climate change. When the rivers overflow we have to build that resiliency, but I have spent my last seven years as lieutenant governor trailing every corner of the state. I've been to the downtowns. I have launched many economic initiatives to get people to stay, to rebuild our downtowns, particularly our small communities, and bring businesses back there as well as students many of whom go to our local colleges. Our SUNY system is enormous. Many of them are in small towns, but how do we get the students to stay? So you're raising an issue that I've been laser focused on for many of my years in public service, and I'm very much aware of the challenges we face. I know how to get the job done.

Nicolle Wallace: Governor Kathy Hochul, thank you for taking the time to talk to us on a day like today. We're grateful.

Governor Hochul: Thank you very much.