New York City Prepares for Lethal Cold Snap as Mayor Vows 'All Hands on Deck'
As a deadly cold snap looms over the Big Apple, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced an extensive network of warming centers and emergency measures to protect vulnerable New Yorkers. The real-feel temperatures are expected to plummet to 10 below zero this weekend, prompting concerns of severe hypothermia and frostbite.
Seventeen people have lost their lives outside during the harsh weather stretch, with preliminary indications suggesting 13 died from hypothermia and three from overdoses. Mamdani described the situation as "lethal," warning that even brief exposure to the extreme cold poses a significant risk.
To combat the crisis, the city is reopening ten public schools as warming centers, deploying school nurses for street outreach, and piloting a new program pairing formerly homeless individuals with outreach workers to encourage people to seek shelter. The mayor also announced the addition of 65 new hotel shelter units and two new CUNY warming centers, in partnership with Northwell Health.
"We're doing everything we can to keep our citizens safe," Mamdani said at a Friday afternoon briefing. "To those who may consider themselves more comfortable on the streets, I want to speak directly to you – come inside. These temperatures are too low and too dangerous to survive."
The city's crisis management system is mobilizing its network of violence interrupters and partnering with community organizations to deploy additional staff. Two overdose prevention centers will remain open 24 hours this weekend in response to the recent overdose-related deaths.
Outreach teams have made over 1,250 placements into shelters and safe havens since January 19, twice as many as the previous night. The city has also streamlined its 311 hotline, reducing the time it takes to reach a homeless assistance prompt from 1 minute and 20 seconds to roughly 40 seconds.
Mamdani acknowledged responsibility for the recent deaths, stating that as mayor, he is accountable for city actions across all five boroughs. "Each and every day is an opportunity to address any of the concerns we hear from New Yorkers," he said, reiterating his commitment to keeping citizens safe during this extreme weather event.
As a deadly cold snap looms over the Big Apple, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced an extensive network of warming centers and emergency measures to protect vulnerable New Yorkers. The real-feel temperatures are expected to plummet to 10 below zero this weekend, prompting concerns of severe hypothermia and frostbite.
Seventeen people have lost their lives outside during the harsh weather stretch, with preliminary indications suggesting 13 died from hypothermia and three from overdoses. Mamdani described the situation as "lethal," warning that even brief exposure to the extreme cold poses a significant risk.
To combat the crisis, the city is reopening ten public schools as warming centers, deploying school nurses for street outreach, and piloting a new program pairing formerly homeless individuals with outreach workers to encourage people to seek shelter. The mayor also announced the addition of 65 new hotel shelter units and two new CUNY warming centers, in partnership with Northwell Health.
"We're doing everything we can to keep our citizens safe," Mamdani said at a Friday afternoon briefing. "To those who may consider themselves more comfortable on the streets, I want to speak directly to you – come inside. These temperatures are too low and too dangerous to survive."
The city's crisis management system is mobilizing its network of violence interrupters and partnering with community organizations to deploy additional staff. Two overdose prevention centers will remain open 24 hours this weekend in response to the recent overdose-related deaths.
Outreach teams have made over 1,250 placements into shelters and safe havens since January 19, twice as many as the previous night. The city has also streamlined its 311 hotline, reducing the time it takes to reach a homeless assistance prompt from 1 minute and 20 seconds to roughly 40 seconds.
Mamdani acknowledged responsibility for the recent deaths, stating that as mayor, he is accountable for city actions across all five boroughs. "Each and every day is an opportunity to address any of the concerns we hear from New Yorkers," he said, reiterating his commitment to keeping citizens safe during this extreme weather event.
i mean im all 4 help, but cmon! 65 new hotel shelter units? that aint enuf!! 
nyc needs more than jus shelters, its bout havin da resources & da love 2 keep ppl safe thru dis harsh weather!! 
i was thinking bout how we always study in that kinda cold weather when were in like 5th grade at school and our science teacher would make us use those fancy thermometers to measure temp 
anyway, im so worried about all those ppl out there freezing their bums off 
its like mayor mamdani is doing everything right by opening up schools as warming centers and stuff but u can't help feelin that more needs 2 be done 
gotta stay safe n warm during this harsh weather snap 
Like they're setting up warming centers and whatnot just so we don't have any "free time" to, say, investigate some suspicious activity that's really not connected to the weather 
. And have you noticed how suddenly 13 people died from hypothermia? That doesn't add up, if you ask me... like they're trying to cover something up 
. I mean, what about all those "outreach" teams popping up everywhere? Sounds like some kind of social engineering op to me 
. Can't trust the official story around here...
This cold snap is getting pretty dire. I'm not surprised 17 people have lost their lives already - the streets can be a harsh place, especially when it's freezing outside. But what really gets me is that we're seeing a lot of folks on the streets because they've fallen through the cracks. The city's doing its best to respond, but it's clear that this crisis goes deeper than just throwing more warming centers open.
. Mayor says all hands on deck but it's too little too late for some ppl. I'm worried about the homeless ppl who can't afford hotel shelters 
. Warming centers should be more than just schools and hotels. What about ppl without heat at home? This ain't gonna be a pretty weekend 
I need some credible sources before I start believing that everything is being done out of the goodness of the city's heart 
temperatures are supposed to be like 10 below zero which is insane! at least the city is being super proactive and setting up all these warming centers tho 
i mean, reopening public schools as shelters is genius 
and they're also pairing homeless people with outreach workers which sounds like a really effective way to get them back on their feet 
plus they're adding more hotel shelter units which is awesome 
i just wish more ppl would take advantage of these resources 
anyway, gotta give props to mayor mamdani for being all proactive and stuff 
- it's cold! But seriously, NYC needs to stay warm and cozy right now. I hope those warming centers are comfy and have good Wi-Fi so people can at least pass the time while they're waiting out the cold snap 
. also, they're addin new hotel shelter units & CUNY warming centers 
. the mayor's all about keepin citizens safe tho 
like, he's makin sure everyone knows dat even brief exposure 2 extreme cold can b deadly 
. anyhooz, lets look at some stats 
- 1,250 placements into shelters since jan 19... that's a lot 
.
i'm glad the city is stepping up with all these warming centers and emergency measures... it's about time we take care of our most vulnerable neighbors 
those outreach teams making over 1k placements into shelters are doing some amazing work! 65 new hotel shelter units is also super welcome - more people need a safe place to go 
. mayor mamdani seems pretty serious about getting things done tho 
i'm all for them trying to keep people safe but we need more permanent solutions too not just emergency fixes
. I'm worried about our seniors and those who are struggling with addiction - this cold snap is gonna be brutal 
. We need to make sure everyone knows they've got a support system in place if things take a turn for the worse 
i'm so proud of him for taking action and being all hands on deck 
can you even imagine having to spend the weekend outside in 10 below zero 
thank god the city is stepping up and providing resources like hotel shelter units and CUNY warming centers 
i just hope everyone gets the help they need and stays safe 
1,250 placements since jan 19th? that's incredible 
I'm worried about those people freezing outside on the streets, 10 below zero? That's crazy! 
. How many shelters are we really providing? Are they safe? 
. We gotta think bigger here, not just warm centers but actual solutions 
u can tell the mayor really cares about keepin his ppl safe & i love that he's acknowledgin responsibility 4 the deaths... we should all be cheerin him on