Death Toll During New York City Cold Snap Rises to 13

The growing number of deaths comes amid heightened concern about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s handling of last weekend’s winter storm and the aftermath.

The death toll for people found outside during New York City’s winter storm and stretch of frigid temperatures grew to 13, officials said on Friday, adding fuel to the growing concern about how Mayor Zohran Mamdani was handling the first major test of his administration.

The number of deaths announced publicly had held at 10 over the past several days, after snow blanketed the city last weekend and kicked off an extended period of subfreezing temperatures.

As the city and nonprofit groups grew particularly worried about the impact on people living on New York City’s streets, Mr. Mamdani announced earlier this week that the city was stepping up its efforts to get those people inside.

The rising death toll was sure to raise additional questions about the new mayor’s move away from clearing homeless encampments and the city’s preparation and response to the storm. But it also underscored the limits of the city’s ability to help some of its most vulnerable residents.

Mr. Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, said on social media on Thursday that he had “begged” Mr. Mamdani “not to reverse our policy that kept homeless New Yorkers from freezing outdoors in makeshift encampments.”

Dave Giffen, the executive director of Coalition for the Homeless, urged city officials to spare no effort to reach New Yorkers living outside.

“The city should be using whatever resources it has to protect people who don’t have homes during this deadly cold,” he said. “Outreach needs to be constant and repetitive to make sure everyone knows where they can come in to get warm. This is really an all-hands-on-deck moment.”

Asked if he had seen any indication that the city’s efforts had been insufficient, Mr. Giffen said: “Only by the evidence of so many deaths, with the caveat that we need to learn the facts.”

The death toll is nearing the 14 New Yorkers who died in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in 2021.

The city did not immediately provide any details about when or where the three additional people were found. “At this time, we believe none of these individuals were in encampments at the time of their death,” Dora Pekec, the mayor’s spokeswoman, said on Friday.

The city has also not shared the identities or cause of death for any of the victims, saying only that at least six had been known to the city’s homeless services agency and that most had shown signs of exposure to the cold.

Ms. Pekec said late Friday that the city was opening a new shelter and using on-call ambulettes to provide space for homeless people to get warm, eat a meal or get medical help. The city has moved people off the streets to shelter 800 times since Jan. 19, she said.

City officials on Friday afternoon warned New Yorkers about dangerous temperatures continuing through the weekend, with wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees.

“If you can, stay indoors, keep warm and limit time outside,” Mr. Mamdani said, adding that city agencies were “working around the clock to clear streets, improve road conditions, and get New Yorkers indoors and out of the cold.”

One man had died after being found outside two buildings at a hospital in the Bronx. Another man was found dead in a Queens playground with hospital discharge papers in his pocket. Another victim was a 90-year-old woman who was found outside a home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

The Police Department said on Friday that it did not have any additional details about the new deaths, and were working on getting more information themselves.

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