Death toll from winter storm grows to at least 15 in New York City and on Long Island

At least 15 people have died so far during the snowstorm and ongoing deep freeze in New York City and on Long Island, the authorities said Tuesday, adding to a rising death toll.

In the city, 10 people were found dead, all outside, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Some were believed to have been homeless. On the Island, five deaths were connected to snow shoveling: four in Suffolk County and one in Nassau.

The arctic blast that came to the region last week sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits. The weather has mostly stayed below freezing. Then there was the snowstorm Sunday into Monday, with over a foot of snow in some places. Temperatures are forecast to stay below freezing until at least next week.

The Associated Press reported a nationwide tally of over 40 people who died from the effects of the winter storm. The AP tally does not include the Long Island deaths.

In Nassau, a 60-year-old retired NYPD sergeant from Floral Park died Sunday while getting ready to shovel snow at his church.

In Suffolk, the four deaths related to snow-shoveling occurred Monday and were all men of over 60, according to Marianne Chiarello, assistant to the county's chief medical examiner: Three of the men had been outside around the time of a fatal medical episode, and one occurred at home hours later.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine's spokesman Mike Martino said three of the people died at the scenes and one person was brought to the hospital, but was pronounced dead later. Neither Martino nor Chiarello would provide further details.

In the city, Mamdani's office updated the death toll three times in two days: It was seven people on Monday morning, eight people in the afternoon, and on Tuesday, he announced that two more people had died.

"At least 10 New Yorkers have tragically lost their lives after being found outdoors," Mamdani said at an unrelated news conference at City Hall. "We don’t yet know whether every case will be ruled hypothermia, but we need every New Yorker to be alert, looking out for their neighbors."

In 2023, the most recent year available, at least 29 people died due to "exposure to excessive natural cold," according to city health department spokesman William Fowler. It was 52 in 2022, 34 in 2021, 22 in 2020 and 17 in 2019.

Mamdani said he was increasing the frequency with which outreach workers canvass for homeless people in the elements and urge them to accept shelter. Those who are a danger to themselves would be forcibly hospitalized as a last resort, a longstanding city policy. 

A woman who answered Tuesday at Nassau's Medical Examiner's Office referred an inquiry to County Executive Bruce Blakeman's spokesman Chris Boyle, who didn't immediately comment. On Monday, he had confirmed that one person died in a snow-shoveling episode. 

Nationwide, nearly 100 people die annually while shoveling snow, according to a study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.