Bloomberg Orders Parks Closure as Nor'Easter Approaches

In the face of a nor’easter set to roll through New York City this week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the closure of city parks and beaches until Thursday and a halt on exterior construction beginning on Wednesday, according to the New York Daily News.

Evacuation attempts will also be made for residents of low-lying areas of the city.

“Even though this is not anywhere near as strong as Sandy, or even strong enough to get us to evacuate in normal circumstances, we are going to ask a few people to go to higher ground,” Bloomberg said, according to the paper.

Fortunately, the nor’easter that is expected to strike the area on Wednesday is moving further offshore than previously predicted, according to meteorologists – giving some hope to those still dealing with Sandy’s devastation.

“Based on the latest model trends, it doesn’t appear to be as strong as initially expected,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Layer told the Daily News. “Although it’ll still be a rather significant storm, the winds won’t be quite as bad and the storm surge won’t be quite as bad as we originally expected.”

According to forecasters, the new storm will still likely strike the region with 40 mph winds and moderate coastal flooding. Rain is expected to start on Wednesday and continue into Thursday afternoon, with a possible mix of snow overnight.