A major hurricane hasn’t hit New York City in nearly 70 years, but the city has pumped at least $15 million into stockpiling supplies for hundreds of hurricane shelters for the upcoming storm season.
Between $8 million and $9 million has been spent on 4,400 pallets of supplies set aside in a New Jersey warehouse, including bottled water, blankets, baby formula, pet-care items and food.
Recent purchases include $1 million on 36,000 cots and $375,000 on 575 nursing kits.
“We can care for people up to seven days,” said Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Bruno.
An estimated 3 million New Yorkers would evacuate in a Katrina-like hurricane, with 600,000 going to more than 500 shelters and 65 evacuation centers.
The National Hurricane Center originally predicted an above average storm season, with more than a dozen named storms and three to five major hurricanes. A revised forecast is due Thursday.
Last year, the city unveiled ramped-up hurricane plans that include tracking storms and training thousands of volunteers.