Elmont Online

ALBANY -- If there is a cardinal rule that any elected official worth his salt learns to live by, it's make sure you're front and center in an emergency.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was taking that to heart Friday as he called a meeting of his Cabinet and explained in detail the kind of painstaking preparations they were taking some two days ahead of Hurricane Irene's expected arrival in New York state.

It's the same kind of comprehensive, proactive approach that Cuomo has taken with legislative initiatives: lots of planning, leavened with assurances that all team members are on the same page.

That style is in contrast to some famous blunders that other leaders have made as recently as last winter, when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg flew back from his Bermuda vacation home just as a post-Christmas blizzard was fouling up the city. Making matters worse, he suggested New Yorkers take in a Broadway show or go shopping as the city was paralyzed by the poor response of his street-clearing crews.

The mayor's poll numbers took a hit in that storm and they've never really recovered, said Baruch College professor and political analyst Doug Muzzio. "That's one of the self-inflicted wounds that is not going away," he said.

New Yorkers can be tough on politicians who are seen as not coming through in a disaster.

Former New York City Mayor John Lindsay lost the GOP primary after the city's botched response to a 1969 blizzard that became known as the "Lindsay Storm." Few will forget how President George W. Bush received a national black eye over his administration's feeble response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

This time, Bloomberg appears to have learned his lesson. Friday afternoon, he followed Cuomo's televised briefing with an hour-long session of his own, announcing evacuations of low-lying areas in the city and on Long Island.

Cuomo has been well ahead on the storm, postponing his Adirondack vacation at midweek to return to Albany. He declared a state of emergency Thursday and enacted an action plan on Friday, when President Barack Obama approved Cuomo's request for a federal state of emergency downstate.

Even as the governor was leaving little to chance in preparations, he was looking ahead to whatever cleanup is required. Among the many releases issued by his office on Friday was a fact sheet for homeowners advising them to collect insurance documents and avoid scams in the storm's aftermath.

As well as to the expected moves -- calling in the National Guard, preparing the closure of roads and bridges if winds hit 60 mph -- Cuomo's plans also had a deep level of detail. Administration officials outlined how crews would be tying down railroad crossings to keep them from blowing away. With no crossing ties, traffic jams could ensue both during evacuation and after the storm as people try to get home. Additionally, state helicopters will patrol train tracks to quickly assess damage and debris. Late Friday afternoon, his office announced fare suspensions on some bridges, buses and subways to assist the evacuation effort.

"Bottom line is, he has got to both be on top of the situation and in the public's eye be on top of the situation," Muzzio said. "He's out there for policy and practical reasons, and he's also out there for political reasons."

Reach Karlin at 454-5758 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .