Week-long bout of brutal cold
Noman Sabit: At least 10 people have been found dead outdoors in New York City during the week-long bout of brutal cold, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday.
“At least 10 New Yorkers have tragically lost their lives after being found outdoors,” the mayor said at a storm briefing from City Hall. “We don't know if every case will be ruled hypothermia, but we need every New Yorker to be on alert, looking out for their neighbors.”
The cold—which Gov. Kathy Hochul has called an "Arctic siege on our state"—is far from over, according to AccuWeather. Highs will barely top 20 through the weekend. Nighttime lows will dip to the single digits and below zero. Wind chills will be at or below zero in what officials are calling the coldest stretch for New York in nearly a decade. Wind chills on Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be below zero.
The National Weather Service issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Wednesday morning and issued a stark warning: "Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures."
Mamdani said the city will conduct frequent street outreach during the “life-threatening cold,” partner with organizations to expand efforts and ask hospitals to limit overnight discharges to keep people indoors. “The city remains in Code Blue, which means that we're intensifying outreach, that we're conducting round-the-clock checks and have loosened traditional shelter intake procedures to accommodate as many New Yorkers as possible,” the mayor said. “311 calls are being rerouted to 911”
The city has placed nearly 500 people without shelter in transitional housing since Jan. 19, Mamdani said.
For a list of warming centers go to this NYC.gov portal. For more cold weather resources go to this NYC.gov page. Call 311 for help.
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