All my life, public officials have asked people to stay off the roads in anticipation of big snowstorms. It is a sign of the changed and changing times, however, that in advance of a forecast blizzard on the East Coast – what became Winter Storm Juno – Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked New Yorkers to work from home.

Advising people to stay home ahead of major weather disasters is more or less standard procedure. The exception: Officials urge residents to get out of vulnerable areas in anticipation of hurricanes, but even then, they note that once the storm strikes the only safe thing to do is to stay put.