Orange County Declares State of Emergency Over Forecast Blizzard Conditions

Roads are closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic except for essential municipal, medical, and law enforcement workers.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus speaks at an event at SUNY Orange in Middletown, N.Y., on Sept. 15, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

MOUNT HOPE, N.Y.—Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus declared a state of emergency on the afternoon of Feb. 22 in anticipation of a snowstorm and high winds set to arrive in the evening and into the next day.

The local state of emergency started officially at 6 p.m. after the announcement, and will not end until rescinded by Neuhaus. A local state of emergency allows for the county to suspend the regular operating procedures in order to support the safety of residents. The county can limit access to affected areas and call on more support from the state government.