NYC Remains Under State of Emergency After Blizzard
New York City remains under a state of emergency following the recent major blizzard. While schools are reopening, travel restrictions are being lifted slowly as hazardous conditions persist.
- The storm, dubbed Winter Storm Hernando, is one of the biggest in the city's history, with 19.7 inches of snow recorded in Central Park as of Monday afternoon, placing it among the top 10 snowstorms since 1869. - Snowfall totals varied across the boroughs, with Grasmere on Staten Island receiving 24.1 inches, Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn getting 22.5 inches, and LaGuardia Airport reporting 22.2 inches. - The blizzard was part of a larger "bomb cyclone" that prompted states of emergency in six states, including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. - A citywide travel ban on non-emergency vehicles, implemented by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was in effect from Sunday night until noon on Monday. - The storm caused massive travel disruptions, leading to the cancellation of over 5,000 U.S. flights on Monday, including nearly all flights at LaGuardia Airport. - Public transportation was severely impacted, with the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit suspending all services, and many subway lines running with severe delays or on local tracks. - To combat the storm, the Department of Sanitation deployed a fleet of 700 salt spreaders and thousands of plows to clear the streets. - In addition to closing schools, the city activated a "Code Blue" and opened numerous 24-hour warming shelters to provide refuge for at-risk New Yorkers from the freezing temperatures.
