WE’RE FLAKED
Deadly blizzard buries city Mayor: Stay off streets 6,000 flights canceled
IT’S TIME TO enjoy some quality time at home.
Mayor de Blasio urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads all day Saturday as a monster winter storm that has already claimed seven lives began to bury the Big Apple.
The Friday announcement called for no motorists on city streets from 8 a.m. until midnight — except for emergencies — so an army of plows can freely battle a blizzard that could dump nearly 2 feet of snow.
“Get what you need done today,” de Blasio said hours after a blizzard watch for the city was upgraded to a blizzard warning. “Any unnecessary driving should be avoided unless it’s urgent. Stay off the roads. It’s as simple as that.”
Heavy, blowing snow is expected to cause whiteout conditions across the five boroughs starting after 2 a.m. Saturday.
The first of the seemingly harmless flakes began to fall shortly after 10 p.m.
But the storm is expected to dump 18-24 inches on the city, cause coastal flooding and unleash 60 mph wind gusts.
More than 2,300 sanitation workers are being deployed, and 303,000 tons of salt will be on hand, officials said. Nearly 580 salt spreaders were preparing to roll out Friday evening.
The FDNY will have 500 personnel on duty during the storm, and NYPD boats will be ready to assist in rescues, officials said.
“The city is fully prepared,” de Blasio declared.
Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population remained under a blizzard warning Friday as the nor’easter churned up the Eastern seaboard.
The storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers, canceled more than 6,000 flights, closed schools up and down the coast and caused at least seven deaths across the South. Four of the deaths occurred in crashes on icy roads in North Carolina.
Washington, D.C., was gearing for what could be its biggest storm in history — with forecasters predicting up to 21/2 feet of snow for the nation’s capital.
Federal government offices were closed Friday afternoon and the capital’s subway system was shut down through Sunday.
President Obama was planning to hunker down at the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Other major cities were also expected to get walloped — Baltimore and Philadelphia were bracing for as much as 2 feet of snow.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and NJ Transit said that bus, rail, and light rail service would be temporarily suspended after its closing time at 2 a.m.
Speaking Friday, Gov. Cuomo said there are no plans to shut down the subway system in New York.
He added that he’s especially concerned about the possibility of coastal flooding — and noted he’s personally prepared to take on the storm.
“I have a shovel in my trunk,” Cuomo said.
Dozens of New Yorkers were following Cuomo’s lead Friday — stocking up on shovels, salt and other storm-related gear.
Willie Clemente, 40, was feeling relieved after he snagged the second to last snowblower available at the Home Depot in South Ozone Park, Queens.
“Now that I got this, I don’t have to break my back using a shovel,” Clemente said.
Home Depot worker Audrey Cassadean said the store has been selling salt by the truckload — with this morning’s batch selling out in one hour.
Cassadean, of Cambria Heights, Queens, wasn’t taking any chances herself.
“I’ve got water, food, salt, shovels — and muscles to go with that,” she said.