New York City declares state of emergency as it faces worst winter storm in a decade

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a citywide state of emergency on Sunday in anticipation of a heavy snowstorm expected to last at least 36 hours, beginning Sunday night. The measures include a ban on road travel for trucks, cars, motorcycles and even bicycles because of “dangerous blizzard conditions,” and to keep the streets clear for essential services, such as the 700 salt spreaders already deployed on the streets. The road closures will also affect public transit connections to the neighboring state of New Jersey. A total of 5,200 municipal cleaning and sanitation workers are on standby, working special 12-hour shifts.

“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority. As this blizzard moves in, our administration is mobilizing every tool at our disposal, around the clock, to keep our neighbors safe,” Mamdani emphasized in a video posted on social media, one of his preferred communication channels. Hundreds of heated shelters have been opened in public buildings across the city’s five boroughs to house thousands of homeless New Yorkers. These centers will ensure that “no one is left exposed to sub-zero temperatures and wind gusts that will amplify the wind chill.

“ I’m urging every New Yorker to please stay home. Check in on your neighbors, especially seniors and those who may need extra support. (...). In moments like this, we show who we are as a city — we take care of each other,” Mamdani urged. Electricity companies have stepped up their warnings to customers about the anticipated power outages.

The city also announced a “snow day” for students, shutting down all public schools this Monday with no possibility of remote classes. It was Mamdani himself who announced this measure during a FaceTime call to a girl named Victoria, an eighth-grade student at a public school in the Bronx.

The storm is affecting the entire Northwest, with blizzards forecast to dump up to 20 inches of snow (50 cm) and winds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h). On Sunday afternoon alone, 7,000 flights were canceled in the region.

In the Big Apple, a January snowstorm followed by a severe cold snap and a couple of subsequent snowfalls left bus shelters blocked for days, buried under piles of frozen debris. At least 19 people died from the extreme cold that gripped the city. On Sunday, the snow still clung to the streets from the last major snowfall over the weekend of February 7 and 8.

Described by many as a “snowicane” (a portmanteau of “snow” and “hurricane”), the blizzard, which everyone is calling historic—because it will surpass the one recorded in 2017 —has caused scenes reminiscent of a wartime economy (or the days of the Covid pandemic): long lines outside supermarkets to stock up on food, and many shelves empty due to panic buying. Early Sunday afternoon, when it had already begun to snow, the line to enter a popular Manhattan supermarket stretched around the block. Images posted on social media confirmed the massive influx of New Yorkers to supermarkets and takeout restaurants.

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