State of emergency declared due to winter storm in Orange County.

ORANGE COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE



COUNTY OF ORANGE

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 6 OF 2026

DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN ORANGE COUNTY RELATED TO A WINTER STORM EVENT




I, Steven M. Neuhaus, County Executive of the County of Orange, State of New York, do hereby declare as an EXECUTIVE ORDER the following:



WHEREAS, there is a reasonable apprehension of immediate danger of a disaster emergency owing to weather forecasts of significant snowfall, low temperatures, and high winds, and their/its concomitant cumulative perilous effect on the lives and safety of the inhabitants throughout the County of Orange and which require immediate measures to protect the lives, health, and safety of the people in Orange County; and




WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 24 of the Executive Law of the State of New York, the County Executive of Orange County, as its Chief Executive, is authorized to proclaim a local state of emergency within any part or all of the territorial limits of the County of Orange (hereinafter “County”), and in connection therewith the County Executive may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control; and




NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby do declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY for the entire County pursuant to, inter alia, New York State Executive Law Sections 24 and 25, beginning at 6:00 pm on February 22, 2026, and continuing for 5 days thereafter or until such time that I declare the State of Emergency is no longer necessary, whichever shall first occur; and




As a result of the above, I FURTHER ORDER, the following as checked below for the next five (5) days subject to extensions:




( X ) Contracts for public work or the purchase of supplies, material, or equipment necessary to respond to the impacts of the above-noted storm event, including, but not limited to, snow removal resources, salt and other ice mitigation products, fuel, lodging and repairs, may be let or procured by the appropriate officer, board or agency of the County of Orange, and any Town, City or Village, and School and Special Districts, in the County without competitive bidding or competitive offerings, pursuant to Section 103(4) of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, as this is a public emergency arising out of an unforeseen occurrence or condition whereby circumstances affecting public buildings, public property or the life, health, safety or property of inhabitants of the County of Orange, and all Towns, Cities and School and Special Districts therein which require immediate action and cannot await competitive bidding or competitive offerings. In addition, any Town, City or Village, and School and Special Districts within the County may “piggyback” on such any County public work or purchases pursuant to Section 103(3) of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, or as otherwise permitted under New York State Law.




( X ) All vehicular and pedestrian traffic, except (i) emergency service personnel, (ii) County employees designated as essential workers, (iii) workers designated by medical, law enforcement and municipalities as essential and traveling to and from work, and (iv) other officials and employees assisting in the effort to abate this emergency, are prohibited from entering upon any public or private roadway in the County, excepting I-84 (which presently has a ban on empty and tandem trucks and restricting commercial vehicles to right lane only) and I-87. New York State will provide further guidance regarding I-84 and I-87 travel, if necessary.




and/or within such area or areas as determined by emergency service personnel, County and local municipal officials, including all law enforcement personnel. All parking on County roadways is prohibited and any vehicle parking on a County roadway is subject to being towed at the expense of the owner.




( X) All County resources, personnel and equipment, or other resources, personnel and equipment being coordinated with the County’s efforts, used in support of the County’s efforts to abate the emergency may use and operate on any County, City, Town, Village or private roadways or properties, regardless of any local declarations of emergencies or other restrictions to the contrary that may otherwise restrict or prohibit such use within their respective jurisdictions or properties.




(X ) All County offices, including County Clerk and DMV, are closed to the public, including the County Courthouse. County employees should not report to work unless you are an essential worker. County employees who are uncertain of whether are designated “essential” should contact their supervisor or Department Head. All County employees are expected to report to their usual shifts on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.




( X ) The establishment or designation of emergency shelters, emergency medical shelters and, in consultation with the State Commissioner of Health, community care centers, as directed by the County Executive.




(X ) The suspension of the following local laws, ordinances, or regulations:




 * All local weight restrictions on any County, Town, City and Village roadways in the County of Orange in order to allow heavy vehicles, equipment and supplies needed in furtherance of the abatement of the emergency.




 * The Orange County Procurement Policy to the extent necessary to respond to this emergency.




( X ) Other Orders, not otherwise designated or covered by the above but are within the power and jurisdiction of the County Executive to do so as authorized by New York State Executive Law Sections 24 and 25:

 * Authorizing County officials to take any and all measures, to the greatest extent allowed by State and County law, to immediately cease, and thereafter prosecute, any person or entity from any activity that can be considered to be price gouging, as that term may be applied under the most expansive definition permitted by law.




Pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(5), any person who knowingly violates this Executive Order is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.




This Executive Order does not affect any County of Orange operations for any County of Orange employees, except to the extent specifically set forth above identifying the specific County of Orange operations and the specific persons or class(es) of persons so identified.




This Executive Order shall take effect at 6:00 pm on Sunday, February 22, 2026, and, pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(3) shall be (1) signed in quadruplicate, (2) published as soon as practicable in a newspaper of general circulation in Orange County and transmitted to the radio and television media for publication and broadcast, and (3) filed within 72 hours or as soon thereafter as practicable in the (i) office of the Clerk of the County Legislature, (ii) office of the County Clerk, (iii) office of the Secretary of State, and (iv) State Office of Emergency Management within the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, either directly and/or through the County of Orange Division of Emergency Management.




ORDERED this 22nd day of February, 2026

BY: /s/

Richard B. Golden, County Attorney

For Hon. Steven M. Neuhaus, County Executive