New York City Activates Season's First Code Blue: Wind Chills Near 34°F, Six Warming Buses Run From Midnight to 5 AM and Eight Drop-In Centers Open
New York City activated its first Code Blue cold-weather alert of the season on November 13, running from 4 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement on the activation.
According to a November 14 report, New York City Emergency Management expected the overnight temperature in Central Park to fall to near 36°F, with wind chills around 34°F. A Code Blue is called when the temperature, including wind chill, is forecast at 32°F or lower.
While the alert is in effect, shelters and drop-in centers across the city waive their usual intake procedures so that anyone can get inside quickly. Six warming buses operated from midnight to 5 a.m. Saturday at Bellevue, Elmhurst, Harlem and Lincoln hospitals and at Penn Station, and eight drop-in centers stayed open.
Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton said the point of Code Blue is to remove barriers and make sure New Yorkers caught in the cold can get indoors quickly and safely.
This was the first activation since the city announced a $25 million Code Blue expansion on November 9. At its highest level, the expansion includes 20 warming buses, four new warming centers, 800 beds in more than 600 rooms, and all 11 public hospitals serving as warming sites. The city advises residents who see someone outside who needs help to call 311.
Source: City of New York
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约市 50 Street 地铁站入口雪天清雪情景（资料图）。作者：Metropolitan Transportation Authority，CC BY 4.0，维基共享资源。 / Photo: Snow clearing at the entrance of New York City’s 50 Street subway station (file photo). Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
