S4175

The New York State Senate passed legislation Tuesday that adds extreme winter weather to the definition of a disaster and requires municipalities to incorporate winter weather events into their comprehensive emergency management plans. The bill, S4175, sponsored by Sen. Kennedy, passed on a 61-0 roll call vote. Kennedy cited a severe blizzard in Western New York that killed 47 people during the past winter, arguing that advance planning is critical to prevent deaths when such storms strike. "We need a game plan in place before these weather events are even forecasted," Kennedy said, noting that communities must develop plans covering evacuation procedures, sheltering options, warming centers, and transportation challenges. Kennedy emphasized that waiting until storms occur leads to missed details and rushed decisions that compound the danger. "Without that vision ahead of time, an extreme winter weather event becomes 10 times more dangerous in the moment because we're sent scrambling when we should be executing a clear plan," he said. Kennedy thanked Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for prioritizing the legislation.