Hurricane Preparedness

The following is a reproduction of a memo from the Board of Directors delivered to shareholders on 1 August 2014.

(View/download the scanned memo [PDF, 83KB].)

Date: 1 August 2014
Regarding: Hurricane Preparedness

Dear Residents,

Now that hurricane season is in full swing, the Board wants to remind residents of steps they can take to better prepare themselves in case one approaches NYC. It is the responsibility of each shareholder or resident to be prepared. The Board is suggesting that each household review its own emergency plans and preparations. Here are some ideas to consider:

  1. Services may be disrupted, such as:
    1. Electric service, cooking gas and water on higher floors;
    2. Cable TV and Internet service;
    3. Phone service (both cell and/or land lines);
    4. Heat, hot water, cooling and air circulation;
    5. Public transportation and sanitation (trash) pickup;
    6. Elevators may be turned off as a precaution, or electric service to elevators may be lost;
    7. Building staff and management may not be able to get to the building safely or swiftly.
  2. Please have non-perishable food (e.g., canned or dried), a manual can opener, and bottled water on hand for yourself, your family (including any infants and children), and pets for up to fourteen (14) days.
  3. Please remove EVERYTHING from fire escapes as these could become airborne with high winds.
  4. ATMs may not work — have a supply of cash on hand ahead of time.
  5. In case a hurricane approaches, the staff will remove toys from the playground as a precaution.
  6. If you own a car, you may wish to maintain a full tank of gasoline, do not park in a low-lying area, or do not park under a tree.
  7. Replenish your supply of batteries, candles and flashlights (be careful with using candles — please only use on fireproof surfaces). Please check battery-operated smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Have replacement batteries available.
  8. Replenish any prescription or over-the-counter drugs and health supplies that are running low.
  9. Maintain a manual or hard-copy of important phone numbers, as cell phones may lose charge resulting in the inaccessibility of these important numbers.
  10. Maintain adequate levels of homeowners, renters and/or flood insurance (including replacement cost coverage).
  11. Keep important documents in a waterproof bag (for example, a Ziploc bag).
  12. Check in on your neighbors to make sure they are doing well.
  13. An Uninterruptible Power Supply (“UPS”) device may allow for limited computer, Internet and cell phone charging during a power outage (assuming that your Internet service is DSL and that your modem/router is plugged into the UPS).
  14. Although the co-op remains outside of the flood zones, after hurricane Sandy, the co-op’s property has been placed in an evacuation zone by NYC. There are six zones. We are now in evacuation zone five (5). The closest evacuation center is George Washington High School, 549 Audubon Street.

Please refer to NYC’s Office of Emergency Management’s website for additional information at http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/get_prepared/prepared_plan.shtml and http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.