Temperatures barely above zero have engulfed New York City and the entire tri-state area on Thursday, creating brutally cold conditions.
“I want everyone to be on alert, take precautions, think especially about children and making sure that they are safe, our seniors, disabled folks.This is going to be a trying time and we want to make sure that everyone is prepared,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
In the morning, temperatures were stuck in the low single digits and weren’t expected to rise above the teens for the entire day.A Wind Chill Advisory was in effect until 10 a.m. making it feel even colder.
Obviously, if you don’t need to go out that’s ideal. But if you do need to go out, you do need to move around, use mass transit,” de Blasio said.
Code Blue is in effect in New York City.The mayor said if you see someone in the cold that needs help, call 3-1-1.He said if it’s an emergency you should call 9-1-1.
“We want people to be on alert. We want people to be ready. Do not assume it’s business as usual. Take special precautions,” de Blasio said.
The mayor also said a Heat Command Center is open to address heating problems at public housing.He said it’s being staffed 24/7 to respond to any outages.
“NYCHA is also opening heating centers and activating heat teams in every borough to get us through this particular cold snap,” de Blasio said.
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