WHEREAS, Over the period of December 8th-14th, weather conditions resulted in ice jams on the St. Regis and Oswegatchie Rivers in the counties of Franklin and St. Lawrence which caused the evacuation of numerous homes in the towns of Bombay, Canton and Brasher and on the St. Regis Indian Reservation and endangered the State highway system in those areas, and that the towns of Bombay, Canton and Brasher and the St. Regis Indian Reservation require the assistance of the State government to respond to the danger posed by the ice jams;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Hugh L. Carey, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor under section 28 of article 2B of the New York State Executive Law, do hereby declare a disaster emergency in the towns of Bombay, Canton and Brasher and on the St. Regis Indian Reservation.

Further, pursuant to section 29 of article 2B of the New York State Executive Law, I direct the Department of Transportation and other State agencies to take such action as necessary to assist the aforementioned towns and reservation to guarantee the public safety and the protection of property.