The brutal cold continues to claim lives in New York City as officials confirm its 18th weather-related death since the stretch of dangerous winter weather started weeks ago.
Wind chills Sunday morning made this past weekend the coldest of the season so far. Ahead of the coldest weekend, Mayor Zohran Mamdani continued his outreach efforts to ensure New Yorkers have a warm place to be. On Sunday, while visiting a warming center in Manhattan, he announced around 60 new hotel shelter units, along with more warming centers, bringing the total number of warming facilities citywide to nearly 65.
“Temperatures remain dangerously low, and we are mobilizing every part of government to keep people safe,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “As we head into the week, I am urging New Yorkers to stay indoors, take extra precautions, and be safe. If you see anyone outside who needs help, please call 311. Our outreach workers will connect them to warming centers, safe haven sites and shelters.”
The city also announced over the weekend that it added more safe haven beds and launched around 150 more direct street outreach workers – supplementing the over 400 Department of Homeless Service outreach workers who have already been working since the Code Blue emergency began.
News of the latest weather-related death comes as utility crews in Brooklyn were racing this weekend to restore power in Bushwick after an electrical problem that started Saturday forced Con Edison to shut off electricity in parts of the neighborhood as the area continues to deal with dangerously low temperatures.
With temperatures dipping into the single digits, some residents impacted by the power outage ran the engine in their car outside and converted it into a generator by cabling into the house in an attempt to keep warm amid the bitter cold.
Johnny Jones was lucky enough to have an actual generator.
“I do construction I went and got my generator so I could get some light and some heat cause I ain’t gonna freeze,” Jones said.
Con Ed said that more than 1,800 customers lost their power and this time it was on purpose. In a note to customers the utility wrote: “Due to an electric problem in some parts of Buskwick in Brooklyn, we had to shut off power temporarily to prevent more extended outages.”
However, it appears the tri-state will have a bit of a rest from the deep freeze as cold advisories ended Monday morning and temperatures start to climb steadily above freezing with a high of 40 midweek.