NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — As temperatures plummeted last weekend, perilous cold conditions led local officials to warn New Yorkers of the dangers of prolonged exposure to severe winter weather.<\/p>\n
This week, thirteen people were found dead on the streets of New York City, despite the Code Blue issued by city leadership.<\/p>\n
According to the city’s Department of Homeless Services, “a Code Blue Weather Emergency notice is issued when the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m., including National Weather Service calculations for wind chill values. No one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied.”<\/p>\n
By Sunday, five New Yorkers had been found dead, possibly linked to the severe cold. <\/a><\/p>\n On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that ten deaths had been linked to winter weather.<\/a><\/p>\n Of the ten people found outside in the cold weather, four were in Queens, three were in Brooklyn, two were in Manhattan and one was in the Bronx.<\/p>\n “Code Blue alone is not enough in cold this severe, this rare,” the mayor said. “That is why we are executing new additional emergency protocols to enhance our efforts,” Mayor Mamdani said Tuesday as the cold stretch continued.<\/p>\n Mamdani called involuntary removal of homeless people from the streets “a last resort,” emphasizing his desire to “communicate to homeless New Yorkers across the five boroughs as to the options they have.”<\/p>\n On Friday, the Mayor’s office confirmed thirteen outdoor deaths.<\/p>\n A City Hall spokesperson released a statement on Friday saying,<\/p>\n “We can confirm there have been 13 outdoor deaths since the start of the snow storm and this stretch of life-threatening cold weather. From our DSS workers to NYPD officers, our administration has intensified homeless outreach efforts and successfully made over 800 placements since the beginning of what could be the longest period of consecutive sub-32 degree days in city history.<\/p>\n “And tonight, as part of our whole of government response to this weather crisis, we have opened a new low-barrier shelter and are utilizing on-call ambulettes that will go through the city and that will go directly to homeless individuals, encourage them to come into the unit for a meal and to warm up, and address any clinical needs.”<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n * Get Eyewitness News Delivered<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n * More Manhattan news<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n * Follow us on YouTube<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n
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