A total of 18 people have died as a result of a period of extreme cold weather in New York City, its mayor has said.
Since late January, the city has endured a cold snap, including 13 days of temperatures of 0C (32F) or below – one of the longest stretches of sub-zero weather New York has seen in six decades.
Over the weekend, another person lost their life on the streets of our city, Zohran Mamdani, a city official, stated on Monday, underlining that each loss is a tragedy that will be remembered.
While temperatures are expected to rise this week, they still remain below average. Mamdani urged residents to stay safe, stay indoors... [and] keep looking out for one another.
The mayor reported that since 19 January, when a Code Blue emergency was enacted to ease shelter intake policies, about 1,400 placements have been made into emergency shelters.
An additional 64 hotel rooms were added to the shelter capacity, supported by at least another 150 outreach workers on the streets, Mamdani added.
On 27 January, it was reported that at least 10 of the deceased were found outdoors. The circumstances surrounding the other deaths remain under investigation.
We have been working diligently to keep New Yorkers safe, and that effort will continue, the mayor asserted, noting that the weather was not expected to surpass 32 degrees Fahrenheit until tomorrow, maintaining the critical need for caution.
The US National Weather Service indicated that temperatures are due to rise to around 0C for most of the week, shifting from a series of dangerously low temperatures experienced on Monday.
An Arctic air mass contributed to the hazardous wind chills over the weekend, leading to heightened risks of hypothermia and frostbite, as warned by forecasters.
The 13-day streak of sub-zero temperatures marked one of the longest durations in New York City history since 1963 and concluded as readings momentarily exceeded the freezing mark.
Officials from NYC's Emergency Management agency highlighted ongoing safety risks as the city begins to thaw, advising that melting snow and ice could dislodge unexpectedly from buildings and that roads and sidewalks could re-freeze overnight.
