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Snow-Slammed NYC Faces 'Dire' Salt Shortage
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Feb 5, 2014
Modified Feb 5, 2014
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By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Feb 5, 2014
Modified Feb 5, 2014
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The permanent, eternal snowstorm that completely destroyed your morning commute is fast depleting New York City's salt supplies, which are vital for keeping the city's roads safe. Declaring a state of emergency, Governor Andrew Cuomo remarked that New York City and Long Island are facing "a truly dire situation" when it comes to salt supplies.
"Mother Nature came and visited us again last night and this morning and she's going to visit us all throughout the day," Cuomo said in a conference call this morning. Cuomo had ordered 3,500 tons of the state’s salt reserves towards the city and Long Island as the city tries to deal with its third winter storm in a week. Another is on its way for the weekend.
"This is not anything we didn't expect," Cuomo told reporters. "We did have notice of this storm." He did admit that the shortage of salt is "a complicating factor."
While the New York City transportation network remains clogged, and in parts, on fire, Cuomo heeded drivers to stay off the road. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 20s throughout the weekend, until New York City is visited by yet another snowstorm on Sunday. Wheeeeeee!
Tagged
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disaster
SALT
snowstorm
state of emergency
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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