The Mayor of New York City announced a shutdown of the entire city traffic network except for emergency travel after a major snowstorm began battering the U.S. Northeast on Sunday.
The order took effect from 9:00 p.m. Sunday until noon Monday, covering roads, highways, and bridges throughout New York City, which has a population of over 8 million. The mayor stated that New York has not faced a storm of this magnitude in more than a decade and urged residents to avoid all non-essential travel.
The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) warned that this storm will bring full blizzard conditions from Maryland to southeastern New England, with snowfall rates of 5–7.5 centimeters per hour at peak. Some areas could see accumulations exceeding 60 centimeters. Nearly 54 million people are in the storm’s path, which includes wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour.
Reports indicated that by Sunday evening local time, the storm had begun to batter New York City, severely reducing visibility to the point where the Wall Street skyscrapers were barely visible from Brooklyn.
In New Jersey, as of 7:30 p.m., over 22,895 customers were without power due to heavy snow and strong winds. Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency to expedite budget allocation and resources to manage the crisis.
In Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ordered all public schools and government buildings to close on Monday and urged residents to stay home for safety.
The U.S. National Weather Service also warned of the potential for moderate to severe coastal flooding from Delaware up to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. This storm comes just weeks after the same region was recovering from another winter storm that caused over 100 fatalities.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents that the worst is yet to come, advising them to stock up on food, medicine, and pet supplies before hunkering down at home.
Despite the travel ban, some residents expressed concerns. A 33-year-old Brooklyn resident said that although roads are closed, workplaces remain open, which could put many in difficult situations as they are unable to take time off work.
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