2K migrants will be evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field ahead of storm: officials
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- Thousands of migrants will be evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to ride out a potential rainstorm on Tuesday night, officials said.
Approximately 2.000 migrants will be moved from Floyd Bennett Field in Flatbush to James Madison High School at around 4:30 p.m., according to the Office of Emergency Management. Roughly 40 Department of Education buses will used in the evacuation, according to the OEM.
The asylum seekers will spend the night in the school's gymnasium before returning to Floyd Bennett Field on Wednesday morning, officials said. The field began housing about 2,000 migrants last year.
Officials said the move comes over concerns of high winds and flooding that are expected to hit the area.
"The health and safety of migrants in our care is always a top priority, which is why we are currently overseeing the relocation of 1,900 guests from the humanitarian emergency response and relief center at Floyd Bennett Field due to an updated forecast with increased wind speeds estimated to be at over 70 MPH tonight," a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement.
A strong storm system will move through the area later today, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds to portions of the tri-state area.
A flood watch is in effect through Wednesday morning for the entire region. A high wind warning is in effect late this afternoon through the evening for coastal sections of the area. A wind advisory is in effect late this afternoon through this evening for inland spots.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander said using Floyd Bennett Field was not an effective long-term plan to house asylum seekers.
"The need for the City to find temporary shelter for the people already in temporary shelter demonstrates that the site was not adequately set up for extreme weather, on top of the hardship this isolated and inadequately serviced location, miles from the nearest neighborhood school, already imposes on its residents," Lander said in a statement.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.