Mayor Mamdani announced on Monday that the city’s harsh cold spell has claimed the lives of 18 individuals. The administration is now facing criticism over these fatalities and is expected to confront further scrutiny during a city council oversight hearing scheduled for Tuesday, where officials will provide testimony regarding the circumstances surrounding these deaths.
One significant point of contention involves the mayor’s decision to suspend the clearance of homeless encampments. Despite the criticism, Mayor Mamdani has defended this stance, emphasizing that none of the deceased individuals were residing in or discovered within such encampments.
According to Erin Kelly, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeless Services, none of the 18 individuals who died had recent contact with city outreach workers. This statement was made on Monday in response to inquiries about the city’s efforts in aiding vulnerable populations during the cold wave.
“The loss of each life is a profound tragedy, and our thoughts remain with their families during this difficult time,” Mayor Mamdani expressed at a separate press conference on Monday. He also extended his gratitude to the dedicated city agencies and workers who have been tirelessly addressing the crisis.
In response to the extreme weather, the city has bolstered its street outreach teams and urged residents to report sightings of individuals stranded outdoors by calling 311. Since January 19, as the city has been under a Code Blue alert, approximately 1,400 people have been relocated to shelters and safe havens. Additionally, 33 individuals were involuntarily transported from the streets to hospitals, as reported by the mayor.
Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News
A homeless encampments is pictured on Atlantic Avenue and Conduit Boulevard in Brooklyn on Sunday. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
The city beefed up the city’s street outreach teams and issued a call to action for New Yorkers to call 311 if they saw someone stuck outside in the frigid cold. The city made around 1,400 placements into shelters and safe havens since Jan. 19, since the city has been under a Code Blue warning and involuntarily removed 33 New Yorkers from the streets to a hospital, according to the mayor.
Early results from the city’s Medical Examiner’s Office determined that “hypothermia due to environmental cold exposure” was the root cause of the first five deaths, though alcohol and drugs also contributed. Releasing autopsy findings for five people found dead outside between Jan. 24 and Jan. 26, the city’s Medical Examiner’s Office determined that “hypothermia due to environmental cold exposure” was the root cause of their deaths.
Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News
A BRC homeless outreach team helps vulnerable New Yorkers outside in frigid temperatures in upper Manhattan on Monday. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
Alcohol abuse was a contributing factor in three of those deaths, according to the ME’s office, with use of methamphetamines a factor in a fourth. Autopsies for the other 13 people found dead outdoors are not yet available, although the mayor has said that three of those total deaths were overdose-related.
In comparison, in 2023, the last year for which data is available, 29 people died due to extreme cold, while 52 people died in 2022 and 34 in 2021, according to Health Department data. In 2018, the last time the city experienced such a severe cold stretch, 21 people died due to cold.
