As is his practice during every major storm or emergency, Councilman David G. Greenfield opened his district office yesterday and today to help his constituents as Hurricane Sandy reached New York City on Monday. Greenfield’s office opened at 8:30 a.m. this morning and is prepared to help residents deal with the aftermath of last night’s storm. Anyone who needs help reporting issues such as downed power lines, fallen trees, power outages or flooding is urged to first call 311 to submit the complaint to the city and receive a reference number, and then call Greenfield’s district office at (718) 853-2704 so his staff can follow up with the appropriate city agency or utility company to make sure the problem is resolved.

“My number one priority as an elected official is to be there for people when they need me most. I am very proud that whatever gets thrown at us, whether it was the blizzard of 2010, Hurricane Irene last year, or this super-storm, my office is always open to help residents. This is especially important and critical today in the aftermath of the dangerous and destructive storm we witnessed last night. That’s why I made sure that my office was open and available to help constituents, both as the storm approached the city yesterday and since first thing this morning. Please call me if there is any way I can be of assistance as we work together to clean up from this terrible event,” said Councilman Greenfield.

Councilman Greenfield spent the majority of the storm’s duration communicating with constituents and city officials throughout the night by phone, e-mail and Twitter, which he used to constantly update his thousands of followers via his handle @NYCGreenfield and take reports about ongoing issues. Greenfield was up until 2 a.m. last night answering calls, e-mails and tweets. He sorted the most vital information and relayed it to the Mayor’s Office, Office of Emergency Management, FDNY and NYPD as needed. Before the storm made landfall, Councilman Greenfield visited evacuees arriving at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in his district, which had already taken in hundreds of residents by early afternoon yesterday. He helped resolve issues there including dealing with sweltering hot sleeping areas. Councilman Greenfield immediately reached out to OEM and secured fans to cool down the rooms for the hundreds of evacuees staying there.

Councilman Greenfield urges all residents who need assistance today to call his office, which will be open until 6 p.m. this evening. After that, Councilman Greenfield can be reached by e-mail, Twitter via @NYCGreenfield and on Facebook. Because of ongoing issues with the City Council e-mail system, he has created a special e-mail address, BKsandyissues@gmail.com, for residents to directly contact him at regarding problems caused by the storm. Councilman Greenfield and his staff have been working throughout the day to resolve issues as varied as downed trees, live electrical wires and generators for medical emergencies.

In the meantime, Councilman Greenfield urges residents to be cautious when leaving their homes, especially in light of reports that two people were tragically killed by a falling tree this morning while walking along Ditmas Avenue near E. 18^th Street. Greenfield cautioned, “Beware of falling tree limbs and steer clear of any downed wires. If you see a fallen electric pole or wire, don’t even walk near it.” Sadly, a Queens woman died last night after stepping into a puddle that was electrified by fallen power lines.

“I will be touring areas throughout Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst this afternoon to continue personally assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, and to help coordinate cleanup efforts. I urge residents to stay inside if possible to avoid hazards like falling tree limbs and to keep roads clear for emergency personnel. If everyone stays patient and works together, we will get through this historic storm in no time,” concluded Councilman Greenfield.

(YWN Desk – NYC)