“All county offices will be closed on Tuesday, March 14 and, unless specifically directed to, employees should not report for work,” Booth said.

The declaration is in effect from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, and bans non-essential travel on all county and local roads. This prohibition does not apply to:

· Vehicles engaged in snow removal, sanding, salting, clearing and towing operations or those traveling to or from their jobs in relation to these duties
· Medical personnel en route to or from their offices or hospitals for the treatment of patients
· Public employees designated as essential personnel by their employers or contractors retained by the government to perform emergency related services
· Utility operators and repair personnel
· Volunteers or employees of non-profit organizations providing emergency help associated with disaster relief, recovery, and assistance at the Direction of or with the authorization of the Commissioner of Emergency Services of Orange County

· Employees of healthcare facilities (hospitals, nursing homes) and medical offices leaving shifts they were on as of 5 a.m. on March 14, 2017

“The County’s Emergency Services team continues to monitor the storm closely and our public works crews and local police will make every effort to keep roads passable and safe, but we need all residents to stay off the roads during the state of emergency,” Booth said. “I encourage residents to check in on their neighbors, particularly senior citizens, during the storm.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Orange County, which is in effect from late Monday night through Tuesday evening. According to the National Weather Service, approximately 12 to 18 inches of snow will accumulate in Orange County from late Monday night through Tuesday evening. The storm will be accompanied by wind gusts as high as 40 mph and visibility on the roads will be one half to one-quarter mile or less at times.

NY-ALERT, New York State’s all-hazards alert and notification system, is one of the best ways residents can receive emergency information. To subscribe for this free service, please visit www.nyalert.gov. If you do not have internet access, you may still sign up for NY-ALERT by calling 1-888-697-6972.

For more information about storm-preparation efforts in Orange County as well as current weather advisories, please visit the Division of Emergency Management’s website at orangecountygov.com/dem, or its Facebook page, facebook.com/OrangeCountyEmergencyManagement/.