A blizzard descended on New York on 22/2, severely reducing visibility to the point where Wall Street skyscrapers were almost invisible from neighboring Brooklyn. This forced city authorities to issue a travel ban starting at 9 p.m. that day.

Snowfall reached 71 cm in some parts of the city, coupled with winds up to 88 km/h, making driving extremely hazardous. Alfred Almodovar, 36, an administrative assistant at a hospital, expressed concern about his inability to use the Access-A-Ride service for people with disabilities to travel from his suburban Brooklyn home to work in Manhattan.

Access-A-Ride is a paratransit service in New York for individuals with disabilities and health conditions. The service was suspended until the travel ban was lifted at 12 p.m. on 23/2.

"My subway station doesn't have accessible pathways for people with disabilities", Almodovar shared as strong winds whipped up snowdrifts.

A food delivery worker on a bicycle along 42nd Street in Manhattan borough, New York City, on 22/2. Photo: AFP

The travel ban did not affect essential service workers or New Yorkers needing to travel for emergencies. However, it applied to the vast majority of road vehicles, including personal cars, commercial vehicles, and even e-bikes. Buses continued to operate, and food delivery services were permitted, though not encouraged.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, facing one of his biggest challenges since taking office in January, urged residents to stay home if possible, stay safe, maintain communication, and look out for their neighbors.

This storm is considered the most severe winter storm in New York in a decade. The blizzard also impacted many areas across the US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Brandon Smith, 33, a Brooklyn resident, exclaimed, "It's crazy out there" as he watched buses equipped with snow chains pass by.

"Commuting will be very difficult for most New Yorkers because we still have to go to work. It's unfortunate that with the travel ban, companies still require us to come in", he stated.

Mayor Mamdani announced that schools would be closed on 23/2 and students would not need to attend online classes, but Smith argued, "it's unfair because parents still have to go to work".

Many large companies requested employees to work from home, while the United Nations announced its Manhattan headquarters would close on 23/2, and a Security Council meeting on the Central African Republic was postponed.

Before the storm hit, the best-selling item in hardware stores was ice-melting salt for roads. Van Nest Hardware in the Bronx, which sells 23 kg bags of salt, had to restock after selling out during a major storm last month.

A hardware store employee in Boston, Massachusetts, assists a customer with a bag of ice-melting salt outside the store on 22/2. Photo: AFP

At St. Clement's Episcopal Church in Hell's Kitchen, volunteer Thabang Maitisa, 42, reported a sharp decline in the number of people seeking assistance at the food pantry.

"This severe weather has caused a significant decrease in the number of people coming for food", he shared.

Hong Hanh (According to AFP)