Since the start of Winter Storm Fern, at least 10 people have died in New York City. Hypothermia due to the harsh winter weather is suspected to have played a role in most of them. Statistically, New York City sees around 15 cold-weather-related deaths a year. The city has already seen two-thirds of that number in the last week.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a public statement addressing the deaths on Tuesday, “Extreme weather is not a personal failure, but it is a public responsibility. We are mobilizing every resource at our disposal to ensure that New Yorkers are brought indoors during this potentially lethal weather event”.
As of yesterday, no additional outdoor deaths have been reported.
According to officials, many of the victims were believed to be homeless. One male victim was discovered on a park bench in Queens, buried in snow. Another was found under an elevated train line in the Bronx. Just steps from a hospital in Manhattan, another victim was found and later pronounced dead. Another victim from Queens was found with hospital discard papers in his pocket.
But these deaths are not limited to homeless individuals. Doreen Ellis, a 90-year-old woman from Brooklyn, was found dead on Monday, January 26. According to her neighbor, she struggled with dementia. She supposedly wandered out of her home at night, and walked down the block, ending up in the backyard of another building/
Following the death of Ellis, Mamdani shared an urgent message, “We need every New Yorker to be on alert, looking out for their neighbors. This is the coldest weather conditions that we have experienced in this city for eight years”.
Several actions are being taken in an effort to combat the effects of the weather on all New York City residents, including the city’s homeless population. Before the storm even hit the state, Mamdani issued a “code blue”. This means that no one seeking shelter or medical attention will be denied or turned away from NY homeless shelters and hospitals. Additionally, many “warming centers” have been opened across the city.
However, Mamdani’s decision to promote public awareness instead of ordering his administration to forcibly move homeless individuals into shelters has drawn some criticism. According to the city’s social services commissioner, Molly Wasow Park, “at least 200 people have voluntarily accepted shelter since the storm began”. But a large number of individuals have had to be involuntarily hospitalized as a result of the weather.
New York is not the only state to have weather-related deaths from Winter Storm Fern. Officials in 14 states have announced that over 50 deaths have occurred since the end of last week.
