UPDATED: 4/21/22 — 10:00 A.M.
This story will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG)—Broome County remains in a State of Emergency after heavy, record-breaking snow fell earlier this week. Roughly 15,000 county residents are without power as of Thursday morning.
Officials distributed more than 10,000 pounds of dry ice to residents on Wednesday. Another 8,500 pounds will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Distribution sites are located at the Chenango Fire Station, Union Center Fire Station, Vestal Town Hall, Glen Aubrey Fire Station, Windsor Fire Station and the First Ward Senior Center.
County officials anticipate an additional 30,000 pounds will arrive and be distributed in the afternoon.
During a briefing on Wednesday, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said he expects to give out another 50,000 pounds over the next 24 hours.
“Besides getting your power turned back on, which is the most important thing, the second thing is making sure that people have dry ice so they can put it in their refrigerators and freezers, so they can keep their food fresh,” Garnar said.
But a national shortage has made additional ice difficult to get, Garnar added.
“There is a dry ice shortage, so we're fighting through that as well,” he continued. “We're doing everything we can to get extra dry ice.”
County officials will continue to announce distribution sites and times as soon as they receive dry ice and bottles of water to deliver. Garnar encouraged residents to monitor social media and news outlets for distribution times and locations.
NYSEG has restored power to approximately 30,000 homes in Broome County since the outages began. The county executive said some residents, however, may not see their power back on until the weekend.
Close to 400 NYSEG workers have been deployed to the county to restore fallen lines.
An American Red Cross shelter will open at the SUNY Broome gymnasium in Binghamton at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, a larger space than the one previously used at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Binghamton.
Michael Tedesco, a spokesperson with the Red Cross, said the organization decided to secure the larger facility in preparation for dropping overnight temperatures.
Shelter beds are also available at the Deposit Fire Station in Eastern Broome County. Garnar said power has been restored to most of the village, which experienced widespread power and telephone service outages after the storm.
The village lifted its municipal State of Emergency at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Residents who need to warm up, fill water bottles and charge devices can go to the Broome County Public Library and several senior centers. The Broome West, Northern Broome, Eastern Broome, First Ward and Johnson City senior centers will remain open until 6 p.m. for residents who need to access relief services.