Gov. Hochul Says State Will Help Broome After Crippling Snowstorm

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York state government will provide assistance to communities in the Southern Tier in the aftermath of the spring snowstorm.

Hochul spoke with Broome County Executive Jason Garnar early Tuesday morning to discuss the damage and widespread power outages caused by the heavy wet snow.

Speaking on WNBF Radio shortly after her conversation with Garnar, Hochul noted that while the snow caused some big problems in the Binghamton area, other parts of the state, including the Mohawk Valley, the Capital Region and the North Country also were affected.

The governor said she expected the situation would improve as temperatures rose across the state.

NYSEG reported almost half of its nearly 93,000 customers in Broome County were without power at one point during the morning. Almost 101,000 utility customers across upstate New York had no electric service around midday.

Hochul said utility crews were being sent to the Southern Tier from other parts of the state to help ramp up power restoration efforts. The governor indicated she expected electric service could be restored for most areas by Wednesday. But she said that could change depending on conditions. She said if more limbs come down "that's something we can't control."

Hochul was planning to travel to Broome County to meet with local officials to discuss storm-related damage and what the state might do to help with recovery efforts.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

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