Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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Dr. Fauci Says Christmas Does Not Need to be Canceled; Explains When Life May Return to Normal
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, spoke with WCBS 880 about the promise of two authorized COVID-19 vaccines and opines on the holidays amid a surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/the-weekly-rewind-looks-at-light-in-the-dark-covid
This week, WCBS 880’s Lynda Lopez examines the historic COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a possible New York City shutdown on the horizon.
Listen back to The 880 Weekly Rewind, including the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper understanding of the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
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Winter Storm Warning in Effect for Tri-State Area; Blizzard-Like Conditions, More Than Foot of Snow Possible in Parts
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The East Coast is facing what’s expected to be its largest snowstorm in at least two years, with up to a foot of snow possible in New York City.
Get ready! Here's Chief Meteorologist @CraigAllenWx with the three things you need to know about today's snowstorm. Keep it locked in to WCBS 880 for the latest updates every 10 minutes on the 8s. https://t.co/wEGt8fwl8I pic.twitter.com/NzpdUuxVbN
— WCBS 880 (@wcbs880) December 16, 2020
A major winter storm is set to hit the Tri-State area on Wednesday with the potential to bring 6 to 12 inches of snow to much of the region and possibly more than a foot in some parts.
A winter storm warning is in effect for a majority of the area, including New York City and all of Long Island, from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.
Coastal flood and high wind warnings are in effect for the New Jersey shoreline.
Meteorologists get all excited over the first snowfall of the season. It’s like Opening Day for them! This storm appears to be a whopper tomorrow evening in the Tri-State. @CraigAllenWx is all over it on @WCBS880. #StayConnected #LocalNewsMatters pic.twitter.com/mhKNNL3SpC
— Neil A. Carousso (@NeilACarousso) December 16, 2020
Snow arrived in the area Wednesday afternoon and the worst of the storm is expected after 7 p.m. through sunrise Thursday. Snow will continue Thursday morning before tapering off around noon.
Snow is forecast to come down at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour as the fast-moving storm rolls through the area overnight. Snow will be light and fluffy to the north and west, while it will be heavier and wetter towards the coast.
Wind and snow will create blizzard-like conditions at times Wednesday night into Thursday, leading to poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions, especially in northern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and much of Connecticut, where visibility could be near-zero at times during the height of the storm.
New York City may see two or three times as much snow as it did all of last winter, when there were 4.8 inches recorded for the entire season in the five boroughs. The total accumulation will depend how much the snow mixes with rain; if little mixing occurs, snow could approach a foot.
As much as a foot of snow could fall in the city.
Northwestern suburbs in New Jersey and the Hudson Valley could see more than a foot, while far northwest New Jersey could get nearly 2 feet.
Snow totals will be lower along the coast. Portions of Suffolk County could see between 3 and 6 inches, and even less on the very East End out towards Orient Point and Montauk.
There will likely be under 6 inches of snow down the Garden State Parkway corridor of New Jersey, from mid-Monmouth County all the way down to the southern portion of the state.
The heaviest amounts will be determined by the exact track of the storm; if it moves further east, the city and nearby areas will see higher snow totals.
Wind gusting to near 50 mph at the storm’s peak early Thursday will likely cause power outages at times.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Daniel DeCrescenzo told WCBS 880 that “a heavy, wet, wind-driven snow” could impact bridges across the area.
“If we have winds in excess of 40 mph, you may see restrictions on bridges,” he said.
New York City’s Department of Sanitation has issued a “snow alert” and is suspending alternate side parking regulations on Wednesday and Thursday for snow clearing operations. Restaurants must also cease outdoor dining starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday to keep the streets clear for snow plowing.
The department said salt spreaders are already filled and ready to go. The department’s collection trucks will also be turned into snow plows and will be deployed once 2 inches of snow has fallen.
The sanitation department will have all hands on deck with 12 hour shifts, 2,000 plows and 700 salt spreaders.
Spreaders will be out ahead of the first flakes,” acting commissioner Ed Grayson said, adding that they’ll start by brining the streets in advance of any precipitation.
He knows the landscape is different this year with the outdoor dining structures.
“So our job has been to train to know where they are and to do all we can to work with the local streetscape,” he said.
The mayor said if restaurants can’t bring in outdoor structures, “we’ll work around them.”
The mayor said he “feels good” about the city’s ability to clear things up by Thursday afternoon, and he’s hopeful outdoor dining can resume Thursday night. A final determination could be made in the morning.
The timing of the storm is troubling, which comes as COVID-19 vaccines have started to be delivered and administered.
“Vaccine deliveries will continue as scheduled,” Mayor Bill de Blasio assured.
The mayor admitted that COVID “makes everything harder” and more complicated, but he’s confident that the city is prepared to tackle the storm.
“I think in terms of this storm, the city has what it needs to get through,” de Blasio said.
The mayor is warning New York City residents to stay off the roads for the duration of the storm.
“This is a serious storm bearing down on us,” de Blasio said, as he urged residents to stay off the roads so the plows could do their jobs. “The next 24 hours is not when you want to be out on the road.”
New York City public school buildings will be closed Thursday, but classes will be held remotely.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed state agencies to prepare for the incoming storm and said he may declare a state of emergency at 6 p.m. for parts of the state, including Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties.
“Forecasts are calling for this season’s first major snowstorm in the Hudson Valley and points south, so it’s once again time for New Yorkers to find their shovels,” Cuomo said. “On the state side, all of our agencies have readied their emergency response assets, are coordinating with local governments and will help ensure utilities are prepared to address any possible power outages.”
The governor’s office is advising New Yorkers to start taking precautions now for this impending storm, which could also bring blowing and drifting snow, travel delays, and potential power outages.
Here's a breakdown of the potential impacts and concerns, courtesy of @CraigAllenWx, as a major winter storm takes aim at the New York City area. https://t.co/cAUuFR0aXi pic.twitter.com/0CiN35wZsJ
— WCBS 880 (@wcbs880) December 15, 2020
Con Edison said it is monitoring the snowy, windy weather approaching the region and will be prepared to respond to any service problems. Con Edison crews will be supplemented by 225 mutual aid workers who will help restore service to customers who are affected, the utility said.
The Port Authority said speed restrictions may be imposed on its bridges and is advising travelers to its airports to contact their carriers and airlines for information on delays and cancellations.
The Tri-State area will face what's expected to be its largest snowstorm in years. @CraigAllenWx has the latest on when the storm will hit and how much snow we can expect: https://t.co/8Igx7Ya8sK pic.twitter.com/j8CsOOFzcB
— WCBS 880 (@wcbs880) December 15, 2020
Metropolitan Transportation Authority personnel are also ready to spread salt and clear platforms and stairs of snow and ice, keep signals, switches, third rail operating, remove any downed trees that may fall across tracks, and attend to any weather-related challenges during the storm.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in New Jersey beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday. State offices will close starting at 1 p.m.
“We expect a significant winter storm to begin making its way across the state,” Murphy said. “This will be a statewide weather event and every county is currently under a watch or a warning of some sort.”
Murphy said commercial vehicle travel restrictions are in place along the state’s interstate highways. If people must travel, the governor said drivers should make sure they have an emergency supply kit for their vehicle. Information on road conditions will be posted on highways across the state.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran told WCBS 880 that the first salt trucks were already out Wednesday before a single snowflake had fallen on Long Island.
“We have a lot of salt. We did a bunch of salt yesterday. We’re doing more. We sent the trucks out at 7 a.m. this morning to do more salt on all of our county roads,” Curran said.
Curran said the county has the resources necessary to deal with the storm, even amid the pandemic, including some 90 trucks on the roadways.
Suffolk County has 19,000 tons of salt and 200 snow plow trucks ready to go.
“Good news on the East End the totals will be less, but we’re looking at gusts of up to 57 mph on the East End,” County Executive Steve Bellone said.
Officials are warning that it will be a heavy, wet snow so if you’re not physically fit it may be wise to hire someone to do the shoveling.
Neil A. Carousso produced and edited WCBS Chief Meteorologist Craig Allen’s snow storm video uppates.
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FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. WCBS 880 anchor Lynda Lopez examines the national roll out and talks with a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board about how shots will be distributed in communities of color.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/the-weekly-rewind-12-10-20
Listen back to The 880 Weekly Rewind, including the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper understanding of the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
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Flatiron District Businesses Brace for Second Wave of COVID-19
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Flatiron District – world-famous for being a vibrant technology hub, higher education center and home to restaurants, retail and tourism – is now bracing for a surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations that could lead to industry shutdowns as a measure to help quell the spread.
James Mettham, executive director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, that a second shutdown without “true relief” in the form of forgivable federal government loans or grants, which would need to passed by Congress, would stifle business recovery.
The Business Improvement District says 75 percent of ground-floor food, retail and services businesses have reopened or never shutdown, deemed essential, in the spring. They had to pivot in March to survive.
Small businesses that already had an e-commerce platform are best positioned to stay afloat; others are catching up and struggling to compete with Amazon, Wal-Mart and other large companies that have seen sales accelerate in the pandemic. Amazon’s sales are up 53 percent while Wal-Mart, with a growing e-commerce site, has seen sales rise 45 percent.
Mettham told WCBS 880 some food businesses in the Flatiron District have had success through so-called “re-targeting.”
“It’s been really trying to push their goods towards local residents – folks that they can rely on being in the neighborhood and familiar with their business,” he explained.
Loyalty initiatives have also helped stores attract customers who want to support their local businesses.
Many, though, say commercial rent prices must come down for businesses to survive and new businesses to thrive.
“Landlords and tenants both understand that a vibrant neighborhood that’s occupied with a mix of uses ranging with office workers, hospitality, visitors (and) students is all in the best interest of everyone,” Mettham said.
He told Connolly and Carousso several new restaurants have taken advantage of reduced entry costs and opened their doors in the Flatiron District. The BID veteran believes the two sides will negotiate and come to an agreement because the local economy depends on it; the pandemic has underscored how one industry impacts the other in a connected economy like New York.
Before joining the Flatiron District/23rd Street Partnership, Mettham served as managing director of finance and operations at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. He was also assistant commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Neighborhood Development Division and executive director of SBS’ Business Improvement District Program.
On the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, Mettham talks about the Flatiron District with reverence of its history and promise for a post-pandemic city. He sees new technology companies entering the previously bustling neighborhood, which he believes is reminiscent of the tech boom in the 1990s in Manhattan South, which earned it the moniker “Silicon Alley.”
“It’s been very both resilient and flexible and innovative in its character over the years,” Mettham said, continuing, “Whether it’s been from the photography industry, the table top industry, original Silicon Alley 20 years ago, it’s always been able to build on its successes, reinvent itself and I don’t think this is going to require a full reinvention.”
Hear more about the new businesses opening in the Flatiron District and how existing ones are bracing for the second wave of the pandemic on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
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Week In Sound: ‘COVID Hell’
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Promise of a COVID-19 vaccine provided hope this week while infections, hospitalizations and deaths are surging nationwide.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/week-in-sound-covid-hell
Listen back to the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper understanding of the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
