BUFFALO, N.Y. — An empty-truck ban on the New York State Thruway will go into effect at noon on Saturday, an hour before a High Wind Warning begins for Western New York.
Citing winds that could reach 70 mph, empty trucks and high-profile vehicles will be banned on the 90 between Exit 42 in Geneva and Exit 61, at Ripley and the Pennsylvania border. It also applies to the 190.
The ban across Western New York and the Finger Lakes regions will remain in place until further notice. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution when traveling, and to avoid any unnecessary travel.
In Buffalo, all city lakeside parks -- Erie Basin Marina, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, Broderick Park, and the Bird Island Pier -- will close starting at noon on Saturday. People are asked to delay non-essential travel while the high winds and flooding warnings are in effect.
In Hamburg, emergency services manager Sean Crotty says he is in contact with residents near Hoover Beach to try to prepare for whatever comes their way Saturday.
Utility companies have taken note too.
NYSEG is pre-staging more than 800 line and tree crews statewide in preparation for the storm.
National Grid is implementing its comprehensive emergency response plan, which includes using outside resources, pre-staging crews in areas expected to be the most affected, and calling life support and critical facility customers to make sure they are prepared.
To make sure everyone is safe, people are reminded to notify National Grid of power outages, never touch down power lines and report them to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or 911.
NYSEG will provide updates throughout the event to the general public on their website and social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). Customers should also sign up for outage alerts and download the NYSEG mobile app to get the most up-to-date information.