Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood alongside city officials on Sunday afternoon and issued a stark warning to New Yorkers about the weekend blizzard by declaring a state of emergency, doubling down on his commitment to get the homeless off the streets.
Hizzoner confidently stated that he is ready for round two of the big snowstorm this winter but didn’t mince words when it came to the severity of the snowfall expected to coat the Big Apple throughout Sunday and Monday. A blanket of between 18-24 inches has been forecast to fall across the city in all.
“If it comes to pass as is predicted, this will put this snowfall into the top 10 snowfall events in the history of New York City. That is what we are looking at,” Mamdani warned. “The bottom line is to stay home and stay safe.”
This cautioning came prior to a citywide travel ban that is expected to begin at 9 p.m. The ban will see highways, bridges, and even streets shut down to all traffic, including cars, trucks, scooters and e-bikes, with the only exceptions being made to emergency service vehicles. According to Mamdani, this is due to the safety of drivers. Standing beside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, he also charged that the NYPD will be on hand to deal with emergencies.
“We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside and stay off the roads. Hazardous conditions put delivery workers, drivers, and restaurant staff at risk,” Mamdani said.
Peak wind speeds are projected to reach 40 to 60 mph. As the danger grows to what he called a Code Blue alert, the mayor stated this time he is committed to opening additional warming centers, including some 22 warming buses, for vulnerable New Yorkers while also ensuring that the unhoused are not left to wallow in the blistering cold.
“The reason that I highlight that as being so critical is a number of New Yorkers in the prior storm and then the prolonged arctic spell after that lost their lives,” Mamdani said.“Every New Yorker seeking warmth and shelter will be able to find it in our city.”
The mayor received criticism for some 18 people losing their lives and for failing to force the unsheltered into shelters during the last snowfall, and then received pushback again from homeless rights advocates for committing to perform encampment sweeps. He charged that outreach workers from the Department of Homeless Services will be patrolling the streets. He also asked local residents to dial 311 if they see a homeless person struggling in the snow.
“I ask that New Yorkers continue to keep an eye out for neighbors in need. If you see a New Yorker in need of warmth or shelter, please call 311 immediately so our outreach workers can assist. As part of our code blue protocol, the call will be rerouted to 911 to seek help for yourself or others. You can also call 311, directly from a link NYC kiosk,” Mamdani said.
Transit alerts
Subways are running on modified local service. The Long Island Rail Road is suspending all service as of 1 a.m. Access-a-Ride will not be accepting reservations after 9 p.m. Sunday. Bus service will also be curtailed or rerouted depending on conditions.
Check MTA.info for additional details.
DoorDash is suspending all service in NYC as of 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, with the possibility to shut down sooner if weather conditions worsen, and will remain sidelined until at least noon tomorrow.
The worst of the snow is expected to subside by Monday evening, with the temperatures rising in the following days.
