NYC NOW - May 30, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: May 30, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: New York City takes measures to combat upcoming hurricane season, the city’s Health Department says it'll vaccinate raccoons against rabies tomorrow on Staten Island, the state’s shark surveillance program will ramp up drone use to prevent attacks, and in basketball news, Breanna Stewart and New York Liberty travel to Seattle to take on the Storm.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, May 30th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. 56 and sunny now, sunny and 73 today with haze and smoke later on. Hurricane season begins this Thursday for this side of the country. In 2021, Hurricane Ida caused billions of dollars in damage and killed at least 13 people in the city. and a recent rainstorm that caused flooding left many asking if the city is ready to respond to future weather events.

Commissioner of Emergency Management for New York City, Zachary Iskell says the city's added an in-house meteorologists and other tools to respond to weather emergencies. But he says public messaging remains the most important strategy to manage the effects of a hurricane. People have to be prepared. They have to take precautions. they have to sign up for things like Notify NYC to make sure that they have the information they need to keep themselves safe. Hurricane season runs through November 30th. New York City's Health Department says it will vaccinate raccoons against rabies tomorrow on Staten Island. It will drop bates with an oral rabies vaccine from a helicopter into the marshes and woods on Staten Island. This happens once or twice a year.

The bates are not harmful to pets, but your pet might throw up if they eat too many of them. The health department says so far this year, five animals throughout the boroughs have tested positive for rabies, two raccoons, two skunks, and one bat. Now that beaches every open, just maybe you're thinking about sharks? Last summer, there were five confirmed shark bites along Long Island beaches more than the previous 10 years combined. Conservation biologist Craig O'Connell says he hopes for a safer summer. In New York, there is a shark surveillance program where they do. have drones. I do have planes. They're looking for these sharks. And they are sounding the alarm when they see sharks so people get out of the water. They're aware of it now. And I'm hoping that

that awareness will actually keep people safe. Governor Kathy Hochle has said she'll amp up shark monitoring using drones. It's a homecoming of sorts tonight for a New York Liberty star, Brianna Stewart. The Libs go to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle storm, where Stewart spent six seasons and led the storm to two in WNBA championships. She's signed with the New York Liberty this past off season. Tip off tonight at 9 o'clock. That's our time. Your weather forecast now.

56 and sunny out there right now. Sunny and 73 for a high today. Widespread a haze and smoke, though, after 11 o'clock this morning, and more of that tonight. Mostly clear tonight in 54 and gusty, and then tomorrow mostly sunny in 77. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC.

Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.