Hurricane Joaquin may have less of a chance of hitting New York, but Mayor Bill de Blasio is reassuring New Yorkers that the city is ready for the worst.

Joaquin lashed the Bahamas yesterday with winds of up 130 miles per hour.

In the U.S., New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina have all declared States of emergency in anticipation of the storm.


Here in the city, the mayor says more than 30 city agencies are gearing up in case Joaquin takes a turn back towards us.

The city is putting emergency equipment in place and organizing personnel as a precaution.

"As a result of superstorm Sandy, this city learned tremendously valuable lessons. It was a tragedy and a very difficult time for New York City, but out of it came powerful lessons and we have changed a lot of what we do. And I can say this city is much safer and much more prepared than where we stood three years ago," De Blasio told reporters Thursday.

In case Joaquin makes landfall, the mayor is urging New Yorkers to make emergency kits for their homes with thing likes water, food and a flashlight, as well as pack a "Go Bag" in case they're forced to evacuate. 

The city is also suggesting everyone know where they are relative to evacuation zones.

Whether for this storm or any other, residents can sign up for Notify NYC severe weather alerts at nyc.gov/notifynyc or call 311. 

Calling into NY1 Friday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo reiterated the state remains in preparation mode.

The governor announced on Thursday that state emergency operations are being put in place.

He says the Port Authority and MTA are also pre-positioning generators and pumping equipment in preparation for possible flooding.

Cuomo says that even with forecasts suggesting the storm will move out to sea, he wants to be sure the state is not caught off guard.

"You have to do both. You have to prepare as if you are gonna have a serious problem, but you don't want to overprepare to where you spend a lot of money, or you take actions that actually cause a detriment. And we're trying to walk that line now," Cuomo said.

Meantime, Citi Bike says it's removing some of its bike stations in areas at high risk for flooding. 

The bike-sharing service says it's taking precautions to protect equipment during the severe weather. 

Stations that have been removed will appear gray and have an out-of-service notice on the Citi Bike app and system map. 

Nearly 20 stations are expected to be affected. 

Closures and updates will be posted on Citi Bike's blog and Twitter account.

Con Edison is reminding customers to be prepared for outages in the event of effects from Hurricane Joaquin and future storms.

Heavy rain and wind could cause trees and branches to hit overhead power lines and bring down wires.

If you see a downed power line, you're asked to call Con Ed right away.

There's a storm check-list on the utility's website.

Officials say to have a lights-out kit containing flashlights and batteries, turn off major appliances, fill up your car's gas tank and turn your freezer to its coldest setting.

For more information, visit coned.com.