News stories tagged with "safety"

(03/02/12) After a mostly-mild winter, the Adirondacks now have a lot more snow; up to a few feet in the high peaks. That kind of weather can be dangerous. The state Department of Environmental Conservation yesterday put out a warning to visitors to prepare well for harsh and potentially "perilous" conditions in the backcountry.

The DEC advises people to dress in layers of fleece and wool, carry the right equipment, pack food and water, never travel alone and know the terrain. The warning comes after recent rescues and an avalanche on a new slide.

Adirondack Almanack founder John Warren brings us our Adirondack conditions report every Friday. Late yesterday, he told Nora Flaherty that snow has finally reached even the snow-drought areas of the mountains.

(12/28/11) Three upstate New York cities rank in the top 20 most secure places to live in America.
Rochester, ranked second. Buffalo ranks as the 6th and the Albany metro area clocked in at 12th.
How did three snow-friendly upstate cities landed in the top 20? The challenging weather helped. more

(12/15/11) Watertown police continue to work with the Watertown City School District to find out who threatened to bring a gun to school earlier this week. more

(12/01/11) New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, says a statewide undercover operation found blatant and dangerous violations of the state law requiring background checks for gun-buyers. Karen DeWitt has more. more

(09/02/11) The State Superintendent of Insurance is warning that insurance companies are telling some flood victims that damage from Hurricane Irene is not covered. As Karen DeWitt reports, he says that's just not correct.

(04/29/11) Floodwaters across the North Country continued to surge yesterday, as rivers were swollen by more pounding rain and by warm temperatures that melted snow in the Adirondacks.

Roughly four inches of rain fell in the region over the last several days.

We've seen spring flooding before, of course, but this year it's not just one town or one river valley.

From the Hudson and the Schroon Rivers in the south to the Raquette and the Saranac Rivers in the north, communities are scrambling to protect their homes and businesses.

Transportation was snarled across the region as dozens of highways were closed. A record high level of water on Lake Champlain flooded the ferry dock at Essex, shutting down service to Charlotte, Vermont.

Dozens of roads across Essex County remain closed this morning. The hardest hit area is in the Lake Champlain town of Moriah where two bridges collapsed and many of the road washouts occurred. Officials say the town sustained more than $1.5 million in damage. (We'll have more on the flooding in Moriah Monday morning.)

Essex County officials say the preliminary estimate of damage to roads and bridges is about $2 million. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected in Port Henry at midday to meet with emergency officials and brief the press.

In Saranac Lake yesterday, Lake Flower and the Saranac River rose even higher, forcing some evacuations. As Chris Knight reports, officials say it's too early to know when flood waters will recede. more

(04/27/11) Sections of two major Adirondack highways remained closed this morning as authorities watch the swollen Ausable River.

As of 5:15 this morning, the East Branch of the Ausable was more than three feet above flood state at Ausable Forks. State highway officials say Rte 9N in the Town of Jay was closed in Ausable Forks just before 9 last night. That closed section stretches from Route 86 to Church Road. Route 9 from Elizabethtown to North Hudson is also closed because of high waters.

The Hudson River at North Creek is already nearly a foot above flood stage, with waters expected to continue rising through this morning.

At Rouses Point, meanwhile, Lake Champlain was more than a foot above flood stage at 5 am.

Officials are reminding shoreline owners to take measures to protect any property that could be exposed to flooding. They're also urging motorists to be watchful for flooded highways and roads.

(04/27/11) There are plenty of reasons to have a chainsaw, from getting ready for winter to cleaning up after a storm.

Useful as it may be, a chainsaw can slice through flesh and bone in the blink of an eye. That's why experts recommend paying close attention to safety - whatever your level of experience.

A number of organizations offer chainsaw safety courses, including one conducted in Kemptville, Ontario this April by the Lower Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association.

Lucy Martin sat in to learn more. more

(04/20/11) Across the North Country, volunteer fire squads are struggling to find new recruits.

Departments face a lot of challenges. Many small towns have fewer and fewer young people.

Training demands have grown over the years.

As Chris Morris reports, the region's fire chiefs are organizing to try to rebuild the tradition of service. more

(03/23/11) Governor Andrew Cuomo says the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has pledged to make the Indian Point nuclear power plant it's first priority in reviewing seismic risk at the nation's nuclear power plants in light of the disastrous earthquake in Japan.

Cuomo stopped short, though, of calling for a shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant. Karen Dewitt reports. more