A powerful winter storm swept through New York City and large parts of the United States, bringing crippling cold, heavy snowfall and widespread disruption, and claiming at least five lives in the city alone. Amid the chaos, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen personally helping stranded motorists, an unexpected sight that quickly drew public attention.
Videos circulating on social media on Sunday showed the mayor shovelling snow along Myrtle Avenue and Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn, helping free a car that had become stuck at the roadside. In another clip filmed nearby, Mamdani was seen assisting a second vehicle in a parking area close to Throop Avenue and Myrtle Avenue, as thick snow continued to fall and roads remained hazardous.
The footage, recorded in the Williamsburg area, surfaced as authorities confirmed that the extreme weather had turned deadly. Five people lost their lives in New York City during the storm, underscoring the severe dangers posed by plunging temperatures and prolonged exposure to the cold, even as residents struggled with major disruptions to daily life.
Responding online to a post showing him aiding a stranded driver, Mamdani emphasised solidarity and public service. He said there was no task too small when it came to supporting residents and expressed that he was glad to lend a hand, urging New Yorkers to prioritise safety during the severe weather.
At a press briefing, the mayor confirmed the five fatalities, noting that while the exact causes of death were still under investigation, the storm was a stark reminder of how dangerous extreme cold can be. He warned that such weather conditions claim lives every year and announced that public schools would switch to remote learning on Monday to reduce risks.
As conditions deteriorated, ferry services across much of the city were suspended to ensure passenger safety, though routes serving Staten Island continued operating due to their importance for daily commuting. In-person classes were cancelled across the city, with around half a million students from nearly 1,100 public schools expected to attend lessons online instead. To support vulnerable residents, ten warming centres were opened across New York City.
Despite the closures, Mamdani made it clear that the situation would not be treated as a traditional snow day. He said shutting school buildings was a necessary safety measure, but learning would continue remotely. He had already signalled this approach days earlier, telling residents that a conventional snow holiday was not being considered.
The storm’s impact extended well beyond New York. Several states declared emergencies as snow and ice paralysed transport networks. Airports across the New York region saw thousands of flight cancellations, while nationwide figures exceeded 10,000 cancelled flights in a single day. Power outages affected more than one million customers across the country as freezing rain and heavy snow battered large swathes of the United States.
