NEW YORK — Winter Storm Orlena blanketed the Northeast and New England regions so much that Hunts Point Produce Market had to pause for a day until companies could toss it off and move on.
The Bronx market terminal, which supplies about 60% of the New York City area’s fresh produce, closed its gates to buyers Feb. 1, while the storm dropped as much as 3 feet of snow in some areas of the Northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
New York City hasn’t seen a foot or more of snow in five years, and almost 18 inches of snow covered Manhattan’s Central Park — eight of which fell in six hours, according to the weather service. Winds gusted to almost 30 miles per hour.
However, the wholesale market continued receiving truck deliveries, said general manager Phillip Grant, and it fully reopened by 7 a.m. Feb. 2.
“Our snow operation team started 10 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 31) and continued through the storm well into Tuesday night,” Grant said.
New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio banned nonessential street traffic Feb. 1, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the city and 44 counties, and the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey took similar actions.
Outdoor subway service was suspended, and railroads shut down.
D’Arrigo New York, based at the market, posted an Instagram story that it closed for the day and re-opened the morning of Feb. 2.
E. Armata Fruit and Produce, also based at the market, closed its store to ensure employees and customers could get home safely to be with their families, said Michael Armata, berry buyer and salesman.
“We made sure to accommodate all our customers to the best of our ability while making sure our drivers and warehousemen were able to operate safely,” Armata said. “When the roads become too hazardous, we need to make a decision as a company on how to handle the situation at hand. We would never put any employee at risk,” Armata said.
Baldor Specialty Foods, located just outside the terminal, also posted on Instagram that it suspended some deliveries Feb. 1, for customers to expect delays, and that Tuesday’s deliveries could also be affected. Hunts Point made announcements on Twitter.
“Our normal rule is to keep the market open, and we were prepared to, until the state of emergency was issued,” Grant said.
The day after the brunt of the storm, the market placed this message on its website: “Open for business, post winter storm.”
