The death toll from this weekend’s bone-chilling winter storm, has climbed to eight, with city officials unable to answer key questions about how so many New Yorkers lost their lives on the streets or say whether the deaths were caused by the extreme cold.
Initial reports over the weekend suggested several of those who died were homeless. Mayor Mamdani said Monday that several of the deceased were found to have had interactions with the city’s homeless shelter system, although its unclear what their status was when they perished.
The Medical Examiner has not determined if the deaths were caused by exteme cold, nor has the NYPD released identifies. Mamdani said the cause of the deaths are still under investigation,
The deaths came amid a brutal winter storm, with chilling temperatures early in the weekend giving way to heavy snow Sunday. Below-freezing temperatures are expected to continue through the week, and the city’s Code Blue remains in effect.
Barry Williams/ New York Daily News
Pedestrians cross Madison Ave. in the snowstorm on Sunday. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
The deaths also come as Mamdani has said he was reversing Mayor Adams’ effort to remove homeless people from the streets by dismantling homeless encampments. The NYPD declined to say whether they have suspended the Adams-era policy, referring questions to City Hall.
The death toll climbed to eight Monday with two new deaths reported.
Police responded to a call Monday at 8:15 a.m. on Jerome Ave., in the Bronx. Upon arriving, they found a man dead.
Police sources also said that at 9 a.m. Monday, a 90 year old female was found in the rear of 254 New York Avenue. ID and cause of death are both pending.
“I send my deepest condolences to the families and the loved ones of those New Yorkers that lost their lives,” Mamdani said at a weather briefing Monday. “Any loss of life is truly a tragedy, and that’s why we’re continuing to urge New Yorkers to get to a safe and warm location.”
Mamdani urged citydwellers to call 311 if they say anyone in need of help. Those call are being automatically rerouted to 911, Mamdani said.
ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images
Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives at a news conference about the snowstorm on Saturday. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
The city has been under a “Code Blue” warning, with additional outreach teams canvassing the streets to find those who may need medical attention or help getting to shelter. In total, outreach workers placed 170 people in city shelters and involuntarily committed three people to city hospitals.
“I want to be very, very clear that we are not out of the woods yet,” said Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner. “We still have a lot of work to do. Dangerous weather conditions persist throughout the week, with frigid temperatures placing utilities and infrastructure under pressure, and vulnerable New Yorkers remain at risk.”
With Roni Jacobson