Snowstorm forces closure of Fort Hamilton

Public schools open, but many Catholic academies are shut

January 22, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Winter Storm Janus, which dumped nearly a foot of snow on New York City during the day Tuesday and into the night, had a major impact on southern Brooklyn, forcing the closure of the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton, the cancellation of planned civic meetings and shutdowns of many private schools.

Fort Hamilton, located on Bay Ridge’s waterfront, was closed on Wednesday, the day after the storm. Bruce Hill, a public affairs officer at the fort, wrote in an email on Tuesday that the army base would be closed Jan. 22 “due to extreme weather conditions.”

News 12 Brooklyn reported that some Brooklyn neighborhoods got as much as 12 inches of snow.

The leaders of two police-public organizations, the 62nd Precinct Community Council and the 68th Precinct Community Council, both cancelled meetings that had been scheduled for Tuesday night at their respective precinct stationhouses. “To everyone who has to commute home, we hope that your commute is safe,” Ilene Sacco, president of the 68th Precinct Community Council, wrote in a message mail she sent to the group’s email subscribers.

The New York Times reported that the temperature in Central Park on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning hovered around 7 degrees, but that the cold, combined with the 30 mph winds, made it feel like it was 15 degrees below.

Public schools were open Wednesday, but several private academic institutions were closed.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) kept a running list on her Twitter feed of the various schools that were closed. Among the Bay Ridge schools closing their doors on Wednesday: Saint Anselm Catholic Academy, Holy Angels Catholic Academy, Xaverian High School and Bay Ridge Prep. Malliotakis updated the list periodically as the morning went on

While students in Catholic and private schools got the chance to stay home and enjoy a snow day, their public school counterparts weren’t so lucky.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced late Tuesday that schools would be open Wednesday and that all after-school programs and Public School Athletic League (PSAL) would resume their normal schedules.

The chancellor’s office did acknowledge, however, that getting back and forth to school in the snow and ice would be no picnic. “Travel conditions may be difficult, and families should exercise their own judgment when taking their children to school,” a statement read.

The chancellor’s office also urged parents with transportation concerns to call 718-392-8855 for assistance starting at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Janus didn’t scare the animals into hibernation. While the Prospect Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium closed early, at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, they were both scheduled to be open on Wednesday at 11 a.m., according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

On Monday, the day before Janus hit, residents of southern Brooklyn flocked to supermarkets and hardware stores to stock up on food and supplies.