Orange County Declares Local State of Emergency, Closes Roads to Nonessential Travel

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus declared a Local State of Emergency for Orange County on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, and ordered county roads closed to nonessential travel beginning Feb. 23 as a strong winter storm and blizzard were forecast for the Hudson Valley. The action was taken in advance of the storm that forecasters expected to impact the region on Feb. 23, 2026.

The declaration by Neuhaus invoked emergency powers at the county level to restrict movement on county-maintained roads across Orange County. County officials closed those roads to nonessential travel to limit traffic during blizzard conditions forecast for the Hudson Valley, reducing the number of vehicles on snow-packed routes and concentrating road-clearing efforts on priority corridors.

Neuhaus’s emergency order came the day before the peak of the winter event, a timing county officials used to position crews and resources ahead of the forecast blizzard on Feb. 23. By declaring the Local State of Emergency on Feb. 22, the county signaled a coordinated response across municipal and county services in Orange County to the anticipated storm conditions.

The road closure applied specifically to county roads and targeted nonessential travel, a measure intended to keep key routes available for emergency responders and essential services during the Feb. 23 storm. The county-level action framed how movement on highways and secondary county routes would be managed while the Hudson Valley faced blizzard conditions.

Orange County’s declaration on Feb. 22 was a preemptive step aimed at the Feb. 23 storm forecast for the Hudson Valley, reflecting the county executive’s decision to limit travel on county roads during the most severe weather. Residents and motorists in Orange County experienced those road restrictions beginning Feb. 23 as crews and officials monitored conditions tied to the declared local state of emergency.