New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on February 22 ordered the blockade of the city's entire traffic network before a major snowstorm is expected to hit the northeastern United States. The ban applies to all vehicles such as cars, trucks, scooters and electric bicycles, except for emergencies.
According to the announcement, the state of emergency takes effect from 9:00 PM on February 22nd to noon on February 23rd, meaning that roads, expressways and bridges in the city will be closed to all non-essential movements. The ban does not apply to essential labor force or people forced to travel due to emergencies.
Mr. Mamdani called on people to avoid unnecessary trips, emphasizing that the city has not faced such a large-scale storm in the past decade.
The rapidly forming storm is forecast to pour 30cm or more of snow on the East Coast of the United States, starting from February 22. Snowstorm warnings have been issued in New York and at least 6 other states.
Meteorologists forecast heavy snow and strong gusts of wind will affect major cities along the northeastern Interstate 95 corridor, including Boston, Philadelphia and Washington in the south.
The US National Weather Service said that at times snowfall could exceed 2.5cm per hour in some areas along the East Coast, making travel almost impossible. The risk of widespread power outages is also warned.
Previously, a super typhoon swept through the eastern half of the United States at the end of January, causing more than 100 deaths nationwide, causing thick snow and snowfall to freeze into hard ice in many cities.
In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill also declared a state of emergency from noon on February 22 to release budget and allow rapid deployment of resources to respond to weather crises.
