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Medical examiner releases details on early storm deaths as NYC faces more ‘lethal’ temps
By
Ryan Kost
Published Feb 7, 2026
Modified Feb 7, 2026
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Andrew Aitchison via Getty Images
By
Ryan Kost
Published Feb 7, 2026
Modified Feb 7, 2026
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As New York City braces for some of the coldest nights of the season yet, the city medical examiner has begun releasing details about some of the earliest deaths tied to January’s winter storm — offering a clearer picture of how some New Yorkers died as temperatures plunged.
In five cases reviewed so far, the medical examiner determined that each person died of hypothermia caused by exposure to the cold. All five deaths were ruled accidental and happened between Jan. 24 and Jan. 26 across four boroughs.
In three cases, alcohol or ethanol intoxication was listed as a contributing condition and in another methamphetamines played a role, according to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The fifth person died outside of St. Barnabas Hospital.
The medical examiner's office did not release any names but Gothamist has been able to identify some of the dead through neighbors, friends and family.
Frederick Jones, 67, died outside on 3rd Ave in Manhattan despite having stable housing nearby and several neighbors calling 311 before the storm hit. The medical examiner listed his cause of death as hypothermia with “acute alcohol intoxication” as a contributing factor.
Nolberto Jimbo Niola, 52, died on a park bench near 96th Street and 34th Avenue, His death was also a result of hypothermia, with “acute ethanol intoxication” listed by the medical examiner’s office as a contributing cause.
City officials have said count of outdoor deaths in the brutal cold now stands at 17 but they have not released the names of any of the dead, including those who died more than two weeks ago.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters Friday the city is increasing outreach efforts to prevent the total from growing any further even as temperatures are expected to plunge Saturday night. Lows are expected to reach 5 degrees, but punishing winds could make it feel as low as 20 below 0 — conditions the mayor described as “lethal.”
The mayor said the city had reopened 10 schools as warming centers and deployed additional workers to do outreach.
"Being outside for even a short period of time could pose a severe risk,” he said.
However, the city has had trouble with coordinating its various systems. Gothamist found, for example, that nobody at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal early last week knew two of the city’s 20 warming buses were parked outside.
The Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project said their members had also documented multiple instances in recent weeks where NYPD officers had pushed homeless people out of subway stations or threatened to remove their tents and tarps — even as cold-weather emergency Code Blue was in effect.
Following these reports, according to the group, the mayor’s office agreed Friday evening that the police department would no longer force people from subway stations or make them take down their makeshift shelters.
In a statement, City Hall said it had instructed the NYPD not to remove homeless people from the MTA facilities unless they pose a danger to themselves or others. But it said the NYPD would continue to ticket anyone who threatens or harasses other people, and bring them inside to a precinct. It said that policy would remain in effect throughout the Code Blue status.
Gothamist reported this week tenants have made a record number of complaints about a lack of heat and hot water — 80,000 in January alone. After accounting for duplicates, about 37,000 remained, according to city officials.
Early Saturday at least one outage was already causing chaos at Brookdale Hospital in Brownsville. The facility had been operating with emergency generators since last week and the generators failed around 3 a.m. Saturday. Hospital officials said the generators were back up and running by 10 a.m.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
Tagged
Winter Storm January 2026
new york city
public safety
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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