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UPDATE: 3:25 p.m.: Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino released a list of emergency shelters for county residents during Hurricane Irene. Pelham and New Rochelle have been combined and residents can seek shelter at Albert Leonard Middle School, 25 Garuda Lane in New Rochelle, starting at 4 p.m.
UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: Pelham Manor Mayor James O'Connor declared a state of emergency for the village effective 2 p.m. Saturday. The declaration states that no one "shall remain in any area within the Village of Pelham Manor if the circumstances are such, in the judgment of the Village Manager, that it is unsafe to do so by reason of the effects of Hurricane Irene."Pelham Manor police and firefighters will begin double shifts starting at 4 p.m. and Department of Public Works personnel are scheduled to be on site starting at 3 p.m. The Group Home on Shore Road has been evacuated and the New York Athletic Club has been secured, along with all construction sites.
PELHAM, N.Y. The Village of Pelham has begun preparations for this weekend's arrival of Hurricane Irene. Village officials, firefighters, police officers and others met Friday to discuss emergency plans and procedures.
Village administrator Robert Yamuder urged Pelham residents to stock up on supplies for the impending rain and high winds.
"Keep clean water on hand, batteries, flashlights, radios," Yamuder said. "Just be prepared."
Yamuder met with the Pelham Fire Department, Pelham Police Department and the Department of Public Works. He also contacted the Westchester County Office of Emergency Management, the Red Cross and Con Edison. The Village of Pelham is also working with Pelham Manor and New Rochelle.
The Pelham Town House has been designated as a shelter during the hurricane. In case of power outages, the emergency contact center will be the police station because it has the most phone lines and a generator, Yamuder said.
"We're preparing for the worst but we're hoping for the best," Yamuder said.
Lt. Julian Keiser of the Pelham Fire Department said the department has done a survey of how many off-duty firefighters will be available in case of emergency. The department has also checked the building generator and equipment. Keiser also had a conference call with Con Edison and the Westchester County OEM.
The village administrator advised those who live in low lying areas to move their cars to the street if possible.
The village has cleaned out catch basins, put up barricades and stocked up on supplies of flares and police tape. Extra manpower will also be available to remove fallen trees as needed.
Yamuder advised people to check the Red Cross website and the county government website for updates. The village will also send out an e-mail blast with updates to residents.
You can also check the Village of Pelham website and track the path of the Hurricane.
Check our Hurricane Irene page for continuing coverage and updates.
How are you preparing for Hurricane Irene? Comment below, on our Facebook page or on Twitter @DailyPelham.
Contact Pelham reporter Andrew Meola at ameola@thedailypelham.com.
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