Governor declares state of emergency as nor'easter bears down on New York

The Governor opened a briefing at the state emergency operations center in Albany and said, "Yesterday, I declared a state of emergency," as a dangerous nor'easter moved over coastal Long Island, New York City and Westchester. He told residents the storm posed "significant risk to our coastal communities" and urged vigilance.

The declaration, the Governor said, puts state resources and coordination in place to support county and local partners. He said teams from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, state police and other agencies were embedded in county emergency operations centers and that swiftwater rescue teams and other response units were staged where needed. "My job as governor is to ensure that every locality has the support they need to keep people safe," he said.