(THE DOW JONES INDEX: 1/30/26... 49,071.56;1/23/26... 49,384.01;6/27/13… 15,000.00)
LESSON
for JANUARY 30th, 2026 – “FREE(ze) da’ PEOPLE!”
This news, this week, is all about the ice.ICE – the gumment
immigrant hunting party roaming ‘bout and upwards from the border to invade
Washington D.C., Maryland, Newark, New Orleans, two Portlands
(Maine and Oregon) and, of course, Minneapolis... where a second civilian was
shot dead by Father Donald’s formerly border, now mobile (agile and hostile)
troops.And then there was – and still
remains – ice... the hard, cold, shiny stuff from Mother Nature, not
only in Minnesota and the usual places, but from border to border across the
eastern two-thirds of America.
And, compared to Mama’s killing spree over the last few days and,
probably, for at least two weeks to come, Father’s death toll of two actual
kills, some nonlethal shootings and the beatings and gassings attendant to
protesting gumment agencies (absent projections on more
consequences from housing, or its lack, equality and the such) was positively
puny and may actually be shrinking.
After Venezuela, the ice in the news had remained foreign – an instance
of Presidential misdirection auguring an invasion of Iceland (where some
green on the ground exists, in the proximity of volcanoes) which was corrected
to target Greenland (which is still, mostly glacial ice – although global
warming has cleared some of the coastal passages quickly discovered and
exploited by ships from Russia and China and, as a counterweight, the United
States and many of the EU countries.
After meetings in Davos (Switzerland, where the World Economists
gathered), some protests in Nuuk (the Greenlanderish
capital), in wonderful, wonderful Copenhagan (like
Puerto Rico to America, Greenland is something between a colony of or appendage
to Denmark, some nambypamby
journalists and diplomats who worried that World War III was at hand and the
United Nations (less frightened than amused and disgusted over DjonaldUnConsistent’s ploy to
replace them with a Board of Peace under control of Himself and consisting of
bribe-paying dictators who shelled out “dues” of a billion so as to dampen
Don’s democratizing threats), the TACO was served and a deal cut... essentially,
as noted in last week’s Index, a reversion to the post-World War II’s
proliferation and subsequent plucking up of American bases – nineteen of the
twenty onsite, leaving only the Pythean classical coldsore-monikered cum Aryan homeland Thule on the island,
and that far, far from Nuuk (population 20,113, capital of an island empire of
some 57,000 cold, cold souls) and, in 2023 renamed Pituffik
(not to be confused with Pufnstuff)... to, for the
present, end the crisis amicably and allow all the declawed delegates to go
home, declaring victory.
The Davos TACO
(presumably topped with shredded Swiss cheese) kicked off our week and it now
swims that an American variant (Minnesota boundering
the famous cheesehead state of Wisconsin) will end it
– once we return to the present times and aftermath of the shooting of citizen
and VA nurse Alex Pretti, following that of Renee
Good (in what partisans called either the justified suppression of a maniacal
terrorist or the cold-blooded murder of a woman dropping her kids off at
school, who got bollixed up in traffic and ran afoul of an ICE agent with
unresolved “issues”).
Still on deck...
but, first, Mother Weather.
The winter of
2025-6 has engendered plenty of shivering Americans... including those in
places where a mild January is deemed birthrighteous...
as well as travel snarls, school closings and, as is our focus, humans housed
and unhoused freezing to death... plenty of language.
Folling the summer “heat
dome” and “pineapple express”, here come the “arctic blast”, the “bomb
cyclone”, appendages like “black ice” and the ever-unpopular “turbulence”
and... known now making itself known to climatologists and ordinary folks alike
– the “polar vortex”.
As another –
slightly older but still modern – mention coined by Google would have it, the
“AI (artificial intelligence) Overview”... meaning a dictionaritatorislism for a definition of the week’s winter
weather (written by robots) centered on the “polar vortex” lays it out as so:
“In late January
2026, a major polar vortex disruption caused a severe, multi-day Arctic
outbreak across the central and eastern United States, stretching from Texas to
New England. The stratospheric vortex split, anchoring a deep cold trough over
Hudson Bay and forcing arctic air southward, creating significant snow, ice,
and hazardous, long-lasting, dangerous wind chills.”
(ATTACHMENT ONE –
see wiki for weekly maps)
There are some novel
definitions therein... a “stratospheric vortex” designating cold winds high
above the surface of the earth; “split vortex” meaning that the PV divided,
sending cold energy downwards from Santaland “into North America and Europe”
and, as noted below, Asia too.
Some people may have
considered the PV to be like a rug... or call it a badly woven toupee... a
phenomenon of discrete and fixed boundary that slides north away from Siberia
and down into Canada or the U.S.A. sometimes, sliding the other way at other
times.But the Wiki climatologists (and
most private and public weatherpeople, too) hold that
it is, instead, malleable – expanding and contracting now and again, North and
South and/or East and West (where snowfall from the Rockies to Pacific has been
so sparse as to bankrupt ski resorts and raise next week’s temperatures in Los
Angeles ... after its alternately flaming winter of 2024-5 progressed to
monsoon summer and autumn flooding) – replicating short-term seasonal versions
of the longer term Ice Ages that existed for a few hundred or thousand years
now and again.
This does not
necessarily rule out a more notorious (and slightly older) phenomenon: “global
warming.”
In fact, winter
cooling can exist side by side with summer warming, even when the combined
average temperature of the planet is rising (except to those who deny same for
economic or conspiratorial reasons)... but, just as
our summers are becoming much much hotter, winters are becoming only much colder.
Wiki’s AI Overview
for the present declared that “(t)he peak impact (of severe weather and “temperature anomalies”)
occurred around January 24-27, 2026, with a "perfect setup" of
high-pressure blocking and the jet stream bringing extreme cold deep into the
South.
National and local
weather forecasters on print, televised or social media did what forecasters
usually do... they forecast weather upcoming – and most forecast cold
temperatures sticking around, at least in the eastern two thirds of America
(while beachgoers in Malibu can enjoy a series of days in the high eighties to
low nineties so long as the look west across the ocean and not backwards at the
charred ruins of their homes).
The P.V. now noted
and defined, Newsweek (Jan. 15th, ATTACHMENT TWO) also displayed
vorticial maps
(see links therein), further hypothesizing, two weeks that the polar vortex a
“counterclockwise circulation that helps confine (the) cold air near the poles”
as occasionally spills southwardwill usher in waves
of frigid air across parts of the U.S. through January” (which it did) and
that, according to the extremely useful short term rader
and longer term daily, weekly and monthly forecasting outlook site AccuWeather:
“the polar vortex (that ushered) in waves of frigid air across parts of the
U.S. through January” will be succeeded by a “more active polar vortex (that)
will drive colder air and snow across the central and eastern United
States," with temperatures 10–20 degrees below typical averages (running)
across major cities in the Midwest and Northeast,” and the possibility...
seemingly confirmed of “an even more intense Arctic blast arriving in early
February.”
What Newsweek and
AccuWeather didn’t get was just how
far south the PV would slide last week – opting that more recent sources auger
that it will this week (and probably
next) – create subfreezing
temperatures in Miami (tip to consumers: stock up on citrus now) and subzero temperatures as far south as the Georgia/Florida line.
Look ahead to black
ice precipitation that will cover roads in the Carolinas as the “bomb cyclone”
blizzard will scurry north to New York and New England – either just offshore
(which produces wind and wave warnings like the fatal tides that sunk a
Gloucester fishing boat yesterday) or moving inland, dumping more snow on
already suffering Yankees.
So, unless you’ve
tripped out to catch the last airing of the Park City Sundance Fest in warm,
but defriended Utah, get ready for an “arctic blast” that “will send the chilly
conditions all the way down to Florida stems from far northern Canada,"
AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham told Newsweek. "A
stretching and displacement of the Polar Vortex is to blame for the intrusion
of the cold, resulting in temperatures some 15-30 degrees below average
extending well into the Southeast."
Elon Musk’s “Grokipedia” reinforces the bad news... “a forecast sudden stratospheric warming event
in early February is expected to further disrupt and potentially collapse the
polar vortex, intensifying and prolonging the cold air outbreak into central,
eastern, and southern regions.”
Approximately 230 million people are expected
to “experience conditions of 20°F (-7°C) or colder and subzero lows
(potentially -25°F to -30°F or -32°C to -34°C) in northern and midwestern
areas. Average lows across the Lower 48 states are expected to drop to around
11–12°F (-12°C to -11°C) over several days. Freezing conditions and associated
hazards are forecast to extend unusually far south, reaching the Deep South,
including ice accumulations in the southern Plains, mid-South, and Carolinas,
as well as freeze warnings and bitter cold in Florida and Texas.”(ATTACHMENT THREE)
Those of Mister
Musk’s militia meteorolically conversant attribute
the past, present and future freezes to temperatures in the mid-stratosphere, that
“rose 20–30 °C above normal, driven by upward-propagating atmospheric waves from
lower levels that created a strong high-pressure anomaly and warming wave.
These waves disrupted the polar vortex by deforming and stretching its
structure, weakening zonal wind speeds and reducing the vortex's ability to
maintain its circular, stable form.” (See Grokky
entry for maps and references)
“The weakening originated in the stratosphere
and influenced tropospheric circulation patterns through downward propagation
of anomalies, establishing conditions that favored northerly flows and the
release of Arctic air masses into mid-latitudes.”It precipitated a polar vorted
collapse, or destabilization resulting in an initial elongation or
"stretched" configuration observed at the 10 hPa
level (approximately 30 km altitude) by mid-January... intensifying this week,
with the vortex core “splitting into separate components, with high-pressure
anomalies at the 50 hPa level (approximately 20 km
altitude) displacing portions of the vortex southward over North America. In
the troposphere, the vortex broke down into two distinct "legs"
extending toward the United States and Europe,” and, as we shall see below,
perhaps a “third leg” planted its heel upon Asia, notably Japan.
The Muskmen’s
hypothesis, chronologically, included a “mid-January” onset of the cold wave,
(aka “the appetizer”), a late January deep freeze and consequential storms,
spreading from Chicago and the Midwest eastwards and southwards...spanning over 2,000 miles and forecast to
impact more than 180–235 million people across dozens of states.The tempest (most notably the one named
“Fern” for some reason or another) have prompted long-duration power outages,
travel advisories, flight cancellations, “and declarations of emergency in at
least 14 states.”
The frigid weather is likely to persist into
early February, potentially exacerbated by slow melting of accumulated snow and
ice under sustained low temperatures and potentially resulting in “a full
collapse and splitting of the polar vortex.”
ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE DISRUPTIONS
Electrical grid operators warned of elevated
risks due to surging electricity demand from heating needs, combined with
physical threats from ice accumulation and freezing temperatures.Reduced natural gas supplies—caused by frozen
wells, pipes, and production facilities in the Midwest and Great Plains—drove
prices to six-week highs and compounded challenges for power generation and
heating.Significant risks to
agriculture across affected regions, particularly impacted wheat production in
the Midwest Plains and fruit crops in parts of the South as well as potential
damages to livestock.
Freezing temperatures also risked damage to
water and plumbing infrastructure, with reports of heightened preparations for
burst pipes in cities like Atlanta, “extensive disruptions to transportation
and travel” and our next litany of occurrences of interest... “life-threatening
health risks, particularly hypothermia and frostbite.”The ranks of Governors declaring states of
emergency swelled from eleven in Grokpedia to fourteen
and, today, eighteen.
Recovery and restoration of essential
services is expected to last for weeks more.
As yet another online accounting of the
weather, on Instagram (ATTACHMENT FOUR) concluded that the Arctic was officially
“leaking” and things were getting weird.
While the
New York Times calculated that homelessness appeared to have fallen in
the last year of the Biden administration, new numbers have yet to be
determined (or released), effects of this winter on America’s poorest...
(whether the unhoused... to use the latest “woke” terminology... or among those
with shelter, but struggling to pay utility bills) has been undeniable.
Another AI Overview
on homelessness, heatlessness and hypothermia (ATTACHMENT
FIVE) numbered approximately 700
people experiencing or at risk of homelessness die from hypothermia annually in
the U.S., as 44% of this population is unsheltered. “Hypothermia is a leading,
preventable cause of injury and death for unhoused individuals. While drug
overdoses are a leading cause of overall homelessness mortality (45%),
cold-related deaths remain a critical risk.” For more information, refer to the National Health Care for the
Homeless Council or the National
Alliance to End Homelessness.
This latter group’s 2024/5
report (Sept. 4, 2025, ATTACHMENT SIX) determined that homelessness increased 18 percent, from 653,104 people during the 2023 Point-in-Time
(PIT) Count to 771,480 people nationwide.
Their findings were bleak.Some were listed categorically (our Lesson
combined and consolidated certain of these – see full texts in the Attachment)
and these included...
DEMAND FOR HOMELESS
SERVICES IS ON THE RISE.
In 2024, homeless response workers served
more than 1.1 million
people in need, a 12% increase from 2023.
RESOURCES ARE
INSUFFICIENT TO MEET DEMAND.
Recent estimates also suggest that over the course of 2024, the response
system only had enough units to house 16 percent of households
currently staying in shelter.
HOMELESSNESS IS
INCREASING AMONG VULNERABLE GROUPS.
Morepeople with disabilities,
children, and older adults are experiencing homelessness. Proposed
cuts to Continuum of Care (Co) programs; cuts to
other social safety nets like Medicaid; and punitive policies like fining, citing, arresting, and jailing people will make it harder
to rehouse these populations.
DEMOGRAPHIC
DISPARITIES PERSIST.
Black communities, as well as Indigenous communities, continue to
experience much higher rates of homelessness than the general population.Also mentioned are “gender-expansive”
people.(Not mentioned, but perhaps
largest of all... given recent developments... migrants.)
GEOGRAPHIC
DISPARITIES LINGER.
More people experiencing homelessness in rural and suburban areas
are unsheltered, in part due to federal
cuts to rural housing programs and barriers to rural
development.In January of 2024, 37 percent of people experiencing
homelessness in suburban areas and 45
percent of people experiencing homelessness in (often
geographically large) rural areas live unsheltered. When compared to urban areas, rural, and suburban communities tend
to rely on federal resources the most.
In January 2024, 64 percent of
people experiencing homelessness lived in 7 states with significantly large
urban areas: California, Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington,
and New York.The fastest increases in
the number of people experiencing homelessness from 2023 to 2024 occurred in
Colorado, West Virginia, Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, and New York.
LOW INCOMES, A LACK OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, AND WEAK SAFETY NETS DRIVE RECORD HIGH HOMELESSNESS
Only 35 affordable
and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter
households. Year after year, this number stays the same or shifts incrementally
as the development and preservation of affordable housing does not keep up with
demand. Meanwhile, elected officials have failed to fix the problem, especially
by allocating too few resources to
programs that help people pay for increasingly expensive rents.
FAILING SYSTEMS PUSH AFFORDABLE HOUSING
FURTHER OUT OF REACH
From 2001–2023,median rents increased
23 percent (after adjusting for inflation) while
renters’ median incomes rose just 5
percent.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE ON THE BRINK OF
HOMELESSNESS
“Rising housing insecurity is reflected
in the number of households spending 50 percent or more of their income on
housing costs (referred to as severely housing cost-burdened households)
and the number of people who live in overcrowded homes with friends, family, or
acquaintances due to financial reasons (referred to as doubled up individuals).”
INCREASES
IN PERMANENT HOUSING AND SHELTER SPACE HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH DEMAND.
In 2024, the homelessness response system added 17,877 permanent housing units.
Nearly 1.5 million people stayed
in shelter over the course of the year; increases at this continued scale will
never end homelessness.The homelessness
response system added 60,143 shelter
beds in 2024, but with over 600,000 people entering homelessness
for the first time each year, this is deeply inadequate.
THE UNITED STATES CAN
END HOMELESSNESS.
As also noted above
in the New
York Times, within the past decade, homelessness was on the decline.The NAEH listed two pieces of evidence
regarding this contention.
1.The homelessness response system has a track
record of success. It reduced overall homelessness and unsheltered homelessness
from 2010 to 2019. It also ensured homelessness did not spike during the
pandemic, despite large increases in financial hardship. This is because
Congress made large investments in Emergency Rental Assistance and income support.
2.In 2009, the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) collaborated with HUD to implement the “Ending
Veteran Homelessness Initiative” which promoted specific
services for veterans experiencing homelessnessness –
decreasing 55% (compared
to the 8% decrease
among the overall population) from 2009 to 2022.(An increase thereafter may have been
impacted by the plague; more recently numerous veteran-support programs have
been cut or wholly defunded.)
CURRENT POLICY SHIFTS MAY EXACERBATE
CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS
In 2025, the Executive and Legislative branches
took steps to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, including
housing and other anti-poverty programs. Furthermore, the President has urged
other shifts in homelessness policy, including ending
federal CoC programs and upendingproven solutions to homelessness in favor of
approaches that (NAEH contends) “do not work.”
Some of the “vulnerable groups” include
persons with disabilities, rural communities, migrants, domestic Black,
Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOCs), low income
families with childen, single parents experiencing
domestic abuse, persons with criminal records (who, experts note, return to
crime and to prisons), Americans with addiction or mental health issues,
children themselves and the elderly.
Over the last couple of decades, the
disappearance of Single
Room Occupancy (SRO) units has coincided with rapid
growths in single-person households.
Usually the homeless are people
who never had much to begin with, or did – and lost it to addiction, mental
illness or just plain bad luck.Once in
a blue moon, however, there is pith behind the pity.
Last Saturday,
WKRC/KABC and CNN jointly reported on the death of former NFL
defensive lineman Kevin Johnson – found dead Wednesday morning at a homeless
encampment in Los Angeles. Authorities said his death has been ruled a
homicide.(ATTACHMENT SEVEN)He didn’t freeze, or OD... the
55-year-old was discovered with stab wounds and blunt force trauma to the
head.Friends said he’d played for the
Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders, but had had “health issues” later
in life that contributed to his “housing instability”. No arrests have been
announced, no motive disclosed, and the investigation remains ongoing.
It’s always cold in
winter up in Portland (Maine – which now has an influx of that other ICE) but, on December 19th,
Portland, Oregon’s KATU issued
(ATTACHMENT EIGHT) their annual Multnomah County’s annual
Domicile Unknown report (created with the assistance of the
state and county medical examiner offices and Street Roots, a weekly
publication covering homeless issues) and discovered homicides
ranking as the third leading cause of
death in Portland with eighteen, just behind traffic accidents (19) – but far
behind substance abuse and OD’s... primarily linked to a 2023 increase
in fentanyl use; being a stark statistic of the opioid crisis facing the
Portland metro area.
372 people facing
homelessness died through 2024, marking an 18% decrease from the fentanyl driven record high in its report for
2023 – when 456 people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County died.While some attributed the drop to a better
understanding of the lethality of the drug, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega
Pederson said that: “Each year this report provides a stark reminder that there
remain far too many tragedies occurring on our streets, especially as fentanyl
continues to devastate our community... (m)y heart
goes out to the family and friends of those we lost too soon.”
No specific
instances of hypothermia were counted in the relatively mild Portland area, but
it was believed to be a significant critical factor.
"Housing
and shelter — as well as the myriad other social, economic and environmental
factors that underlie the causes of excess deaths among people experiencing
homelessness — must continue to be considered when developing policies that can
save lives and prevent premature death" other Multnomah County leaders
said.
But some of KATU’s
PEANUT GALLERY trolls said “good riddance to bad rubbish”.
“The County can’t even fill a pothole,
we’re supposed to believe the M.E.s office runs any better?” asked Retportfire (sic).“Street Roots has no business being involved in any official tally.There are far too many reasons to monkey with
the numbers either up or down.
“Does anyone believe we have a drug problem?
(Who) denies the Biden open borders? Who denies China provides precursors to
cartels? Which political party supported China, open borders and drugs?” asked StopwatchingMSM
Pick up more pep from more Peanuts from the KATU
gallery here.
As far
as deaths due specifically to hypothermiaand/or related frosty causes, the media, usually sympathetic to the
tragic aspects of invidual cases, trotted out
numerous stories from their Book of the Dead in 2025 – which ranged from coast
to coast, border to border (and even in some cold countries, overseas), and
included those who died in buildings (but with little or no heat), on the
streets or in the much hated “encampments” which many local, state and Federal
officials have vowed to break up and destroy.
What happens
to the people when they do?That varies.
Homeless
deaths due to freezing were, like all homeless deaths, up in 2025 – even well
before the climactic crash of December and January, 2026.(Other factors, as Portlanders observed,
included violence, disease, accidents and alcohol and drug abuse... especially,
of late, from fentanyl)Families, friends and neighbors held vigils.Officials denounced the fatalities as
“tragedies” and then usually, brought out their partisan shields.
Partisans
blamed the homeless themselves, poverty and inequality, those despicable housed
Americans or each other.An particularly
grisly instance where two children froze to death in Detroit almost a year ago,
now, may have resulted from all of the above (see Attachments below)... Federal cutbacks of lifesaving subsidies to
shelters and nonprofits, cruel and/or indifferent local bureaucrats,
overcrowded and chaotic shelters.Public
and private agencies have a lot to answer for, but, according to Interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison, so does the
unnamed mother living in her car with her kids in a casino parking lot, who had
"a lot of pride."
Fox Detroit
(2/11/25, 11:29 AM – ATTACHMENTNINE) was first to report that the kids who died, ages 2 and 9 years old, were staying in a van with five
others of their family in the parking structure of a Detroit casino. According
to the Mayor, Mike Duggan, “there were family shelter beds available a few
miles away from the casino where the family could have stayed.”
Duggan confirmed the city had last been in contact with family in November
when they reached out, concerned they would soon not have a place to live and said
he has asked the deputy mayor to return in 14 days with complete review of why
the family never accessed housing services.
"It brings home the point that having services available doesn't
mean much if residents that need them don't know how to access them," said
Duggan.
The family's mother also told police they were homeless - however, it's unclear what circumstances led to their living status
or how long the family had been without shelter.
Police did confirm a criminal investigation "has to" happen due
to the tragic outcome. Whether any charges come from the case is uncertain.
The Mayor said "no resolution was
reached" to secure them a place to live at that time, and they never had
any further contact with the family.
Police told FOX 2 the vehicle had run out of gas sometime after the van
had parked at the casino, but it's unclear when.
The network concluded with reference points, including a list of warming
centers, the Detroit Housing Network (which acts as a hotline that can connect
people to resources) and other nonprofits.
The Mayor and the station also advised calling
911.
That evening, the Detroit News (2/11/25, 7:01 PM – ATTACHMENT TEN)
updated the situation... advising, again, that people in trouble should go to their
closest police precinct – but, in Detroit as elsewhere, since many of the poor
hate and fear the police (an alienation now especially complicated by ICE
raids, seizures and deportations of illegal aliens, and often citizens who just
look foreign).
Mayor Duggan said a
preliminary review of city records conducted through the day showed the mother
of five reached out at least three times, the last time being Nov. 25, 2024.
The family said they'd been living with relatives but were told they'd need to
find another place and would need somewhere to go.
The mayor said what
made Monday's tragedy even worse was that there was shelter space available for
families that evening just a few miles from the Hollywood Casino parking
structure in Greektown.
"It brings home
the point that having services available doesn't mean very much if the
residents who need them don't know how to access them," Duggan said.
Interim Police Chief
Bettison said a preliminary investigation showed the mom and her kids had been
living out of her van for two to three months and staying in various casino
parking lots. She allegedly parked in the Greektown structure around 1 a.m.
Monday, parking on the ninth floor. At some point, her van ran out of gas or
had a mechanical failure, Bettison said.
An autopsy hasn't
been completed yet, but authorities believe the two children died of
hypothermia. The mother noticed one of the children, the nine-year-old, wasn't
breathing around noon on Monday and called a friend, who drove the child to
Children's Hospital. The two-year-old also was later found not breathing. Both
were later pronounced dead.
When asked if other
relatives knew the mother was living in her car with her kids, Bettison said he
didn't want to speculate. But from what he was told, he said she had "a
lot of pride."
"She loved her
kids, and she wanted to keep the family together," Bettison said.
Chad Audi, the CEO
of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, said unequivocally the children's deaths
should have been prevented. “Though he was careful not to point a finger in any
one direction, he said Detroit's system failed the family.”
"Somebody asked
for help. You did not give her the support, and now the result of it is you
(lost) two innocent lives. That's not acceptable," Audi said.
As
2025 blew in with a bang, it exited with a bigger bang – potentiated by that “weird”
polar vortex and those other climactic grenades (the “bomb cyclones”, “arctic
blast” and such as also described above).
Especially
deadly circumstances manifested in December... the 2025-26 winter to having originally spanned coast to coast until, after
Christmas, easing off in the West and actually becoming tolerable, if not
downright pleasant (despite occasional inland mountain-area avalanches); still,
survivors of winter past and friends and families of those deceased remembered
the lost – mostly privately, but sometimes in public Christmas-themed memorials
like the Winter Solstice “Longest Night” vigil in Bend, Oregon, (The Bend
Bulletin, December 14: ATTACHMENT ELEVEN)
(ATTACHMENT
TWELVE) was redacted.
Two days before Christmas, Ckevelanders had gathered to remember those who died in the
cold to hear Rev. E. Regis Bunch call the need for the annual Homeless Memorial in an indictment of the “apathy that
allows our folks to freeze in the shadow of luxury developments.”
The
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) has organized the memorial since the 1980s,
always around the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The focus is
on reading aloud the names of Greater Clevelanders who died that year while
experiencing homelessness. There were about 170 names on the list on Monday,
and some in attendance called out the names of others.
“And
I am scared to death that there’s going to be a lot more names next year,” said
Anita Cook, president of the NEOCH board, referring to proposed changes in
requirements and priorities in federal funding for services for homelessness.
“In November the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced
plans to shift funds away from permanent housing and toward short-term
programs. Ten thousand households in Ohio, and 3,600 in Cuyahoga County, could
be affected, according to NEOCH.
“HUD
postponed the changes amid legal challenges, so it’s not clear if they’ll take
effect in 2026.”
Chris
Knestrick, executive director of NEOCH, called the
annual memorial “a tough day in our community, but a very important day.”
“For
people without a safe place to sleep, winter does not arrive gently,” he said.
“It exposes a truth that is deeply painful, that in our community, people have
died not because of inevitability, but because of the violence of poverty,
because housing is treated as a commodity instead of a human right.”
(There
may be a discrepancy here, the DJI and CNC point out: LAND is a collective human right, what gets built
is individual because either the
occupant has to do the construction himself, or pay others for their labor.)
“Long-standing,
successful programs are being destroyed,” Knestrick
said, “not because the work has failed, but because people in Washington do not
value life.”
In addition to its cold beginnings, 2025 had had an
even colder ending – for the year and for many homeless and/or un- or
underheated Americans – whether in northern tier states like Michigan or
Minnesota, east to New York and New England or even in the customarily warmer
south.
As the holiday season approached, temperatures
cratered, falling to record lows even in the Deep South, where people... let alone
homeless people... were inexperienced and unprepared to deal with Jack Frost –
even in Jackson, Mississippi, where where a homeless
man was found dead in Jackson on Monday morning following an overnight freeze,
according to Hinds County coroner Jeramiah Howard.(ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN)
“Howard said the man’s body was discovered
around 7:20 a.m. curled in the doorway of a building in the 900 block of South State
Street. The man’s name has not been released.
“Howard
added that officers with the Capitol Police Department checked on the man
during the night,” but, as in other cases, he refused to go to a shelter.
Even in Florida... the sunny Florida of Max Frost
and Gov. DeSantis; of citrus, Cuban exiles and Disney World... grapefruit were
rotting, frozen iguanas were falling out of trees and, in Pensacola, the death
of a woman who appears to have been homeless is under
investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office,
although there are no signs of foul play.
A
sheriff’s office spokesperson said they got a call around 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 15
that a woman at the corner of Fairfield Drive and Pace Boulevard had died.
Deputies
responded and determined the woman appeared to be experiencing homelessness.
They say her death is not suspicious, but they don't know if the cold played a
role.
They
say she was covered in blankets and jackets and it's possible she died while
sleeping on the sidewalk. (Pensacola News Journal, ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN)
After
a January, 2025, night on which temperatures dipped as low as 31 degrees, another homeless
person was found dead near Pensacola’s Loaves and Fishes Soup
Kitchen.So, during cold weather events,
when temperatures in the city drop below 40 degrees, Waterfront Mission in
suspends all overnight fees and breathalyzer requirements.
The
Mission told the N-J that 182 people stayed overnight from Sunday to Monday in
mid-December to escape the cold.
“The
Mission remains open 24 hours a day as a warming center when the temperature
stays under 40 degrees,” a spokesperson said. “Overnight capacity is also
expanded, including additional cots if needed.”
If 2025 was bad enough, 2026 augurs to be
even worse.
The Canton Repository in Canton/Alliance Ohio
reported on the death of Justin Ward, a
homeless man who was found frozen to death in the bitter cold on Jan. 5th
(Jan. 9th, ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN)
“To his family and friends,
the 32-year-old Alliance man was a treasured, tortured soul whose life was more
important than the way it ended,” according to the Repository’s Benjamin Duer.
“He was a son, a
brother, and a father. He was a loyal friend.”
"Justin Ward is
a great man," said Savannah Books, a friend. "He was loved by many.
He had a big impact on a lot of people, including me and my fiance.
He always made sure everybody was taken care of, including his kid."
Police said Ward's
body was found in a tent on Rush Street near PTC Metal Inc. after no one had
heard from him in days. His cousin, Sabrina Betz, said she and other relatives
searched for him, on foot, and she said they found him.
"But it was too
late," Betz said.
Ward, who was a
diabetic, battled a drug addiction that led him to the streets, despite family
and friends. Betz said her cousin struggled to get the medical care he needed.
"He just didn't
know where to go for help," Betz said in an email.
She also said her
cousin was "a man full of pride" who fought his battles in private,
and he didn't want to bother family and friends with them. "Many friends
and many family members wanted to help," Betz said, but he “must have felt
bad that he got so bad he might not have wanted the people he loved to see him
like that."
Brandi Douthitt, an Alliance resident, didn't hold back her
outrage over his death, while she addressed City Council members and other city
officials at a Jan. 5 meeting.
Douthitt said homelessness
should not be a political issue but a human one, and she criticized unnamed
groups for "refusing to work together" to create a solution. She
blamed egos.
"There are
solutions and we've got to find one. We cannot let human beings freeze to death
in our city and walk around and say, 'we're doing a good job,'" Douthitt said.
Mayor Andy Grove
hadn't heard about Ward's death until Douthitt spoke
that night, but he called it a tragedy. "We certainly don't want
that," Grove said Jan. 5.
But, Duer opined, “the city's leaders have largely left the
responsibility of caring for its homeless population to a few nonprofits and
ministries.”
Many of the
nonprofits, as noted above, are losing Federal funding, causing the ministries
and charities to tighten their belts – and tightening the noose around the
necks of the homeless.
"The homeless
crisis in Alliance is worsening,” said a spokesperson for one of the
ministries, Clothed in Righteousness, which has become a regular stop for the
city's homeless who need meals, clothes and other items. “While addiction and
mental illness contribute to this issue, that is not the case for everyone.
It's important to remember that sometimes bad things happen to good people.”
To the east, exposure to the cold
played the primary role in the death of a 65-year-old homeless man who spent
the night on the Green in New Haven, CT last month as temperatures dipped below
freezing.
The Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined on Jan. 6 that the cause of AbdulahKanchero’s death was
“hypothermia due to environmental exposure, with other significant conditions
of acute and chronic alcohol use,” according to an OCME spokesperson’s spokesing to the New Haven Independent (Jan. 21st,
ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN)
The Independent,
using a directive from the Mayo Clinic, defined hypothermia and differentiated
it from frostbite and other afflictions as being “a condition that occurs when one’s body
temperature drops to dangerously low levels; a
medical emergency, it can harm the functioning of the heart and respiratory
systems, and can lead to death.
“What happened was a
tragedy,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s
heartbreaking...” as was hypothermia – perhaps complicated by bureaucratic
chaos.
City police
spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart said that
the autopsy conducted by the medical examiner determined the cause of death to
be “hypothermia due to environment exposure” and the manner of death was an
accident. The autopsy also noted “a contributory factor to be acute and chronic
alcohol use while also noting several other health issues.”
Kanchero died on the same
week that the city’s two warming centers, at Varick Church on Dixwell Avenue
and at the 180 Center on East Street, had reached capacity. A group of
advocates for the homeless rallied at City Hall on the night of Dec. 11 and
pressured the city to open a temporary warming center at the municipal office
building at 200 Orange St. The city closed
that 200
Orange warming
center a few days later
when it secured money from the state to open a third warming center at the 645
Grand Ave. homeless shelter.
On Wednesday,
Elicker said that the city currently has capacity for 166 people at its three
warming centers as well as at the Foxon Boulevard
hotel-turned-homeless shelter and at Columbus House. (Warming center spaces at
those latter two sites are enabled by the state’s activation of a
“severe cold weather protocol,” which went into effect
Monday night and extended through Wednesday at noon.
The city’s three
warming centers have been all but full this
week, Elicker reported, though no one has been turned away.He did not say whether or not shelters were
full or whether Kanchero was turned away on the night
of his death,
Elicker did say
that, on Tuesday night, (presumably the 19th), “64 people stayed at
the 180 Center warming center, which has a capacity for 66 people; 36 people
stayed at Varick, which has a capacity for 40 people; and 40 people stayed at
645 Grand, which has a capacity for 40 people.”
Giovanni Castillo —
a homeless man and member of the Unhoused Activist Community Team (U-ACT) — said on
Wednesday that “(i)t sucks that we weren’t able to
get to him and find him,” he said. “There’s so many homeless people” in New
Haven, he added – presumably not many being Yale students on tight
budgets.“It’s hard to know everybody.”
The Independent
PEANUT GALLERY had its share of both comfort and callousness – as well as a few
modest suggestions from the nuts and flakes...
“New Haven’s permissive
approach to public behavior has turned compassion into a magnet for disorder.
On the Green, drinking, drug use, smoking, and public urination are routinely
tolerated. This is not accidental—it is the result of policy choices,” said T –
who added that New Haven is a sanctuary city to appease the dreamers and
derelicts and... you know... those people.“Principles bend, definitions blur, and
accountability quietly disappears when electoral math enters the room.
And S. agreed...
calling (”t”)ragedies like
this “the direct result of a city overly permissive with the homeless. If you
make it too easy to be homeless, then you attract them from other locations and
when you really need those warming shelters, they are full.
He then recalled a
situation “where a homeless man was outside a bar. The bar gave him $20 to
stand elsewhere. He did so and told his friends. That same night, there were
several homeless outside the bar waiting for their $20 to leave.”
S. called Hizzoner a
Hizzopocite for “turning off the heat at the Amistad
House on Rosette St. to let those poor people freeze, that heat is off to this
day because of him. Do you think it’s any warmer over there? Do you REALLY CARE
mayor Elicker? I do not think so!”
Get over it people!” said U.
But H said that
“using the term “get over it people” is really
shameful when in relation to an article about a homeless elderly man who froze
to death in a city street due to his not being given direction to a warm safe
place to go to get out of the cold.
Several posted about
the need for more homes, if not shelters... a Federal
question, but one “N” suggested that, since New Haven can
not do all the heavy lifting for the region, “the suburbs need
shelters.”
Shelters are not a
permanent fix. We need to bring back state mental institutions, replied A.
And another N.
brought matters up to present time by reminding readers that with sub zero temps coming on Saturday “and a foot of snow or
more on Sunday/Monday (presumably Jan. 23rd and 24th, have any
changes been made?”
Probably
not... given that less than a hundred miles west in big, bad Gotham, the Daily
News was reporting on more homeless deaths.(Jan. 24, ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN)
Three people were
found dead Saturday morning on the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn amid
freezing temperatures, cops said.
“A 67-year-old man was
pronounced dead at the scene when police found his body outside around 7:45
a.m. near Third Ave. and E. 35th St. in ritzy, casino chasing Murray Hill.
“And, about two hours later,
the lifeless body of a 64-year-old woman was found around 9:25 a.m. outside a
home near Remsen Ave. and Glenwood Rd. in Canarsie while an unidentified
man was also found dead around the same time near Warren and Smith Sts. in Cobble Hill.
The Daily News
reported temperatures had plunged to 10 degrees Saturday morning — with wind
chills making it feel more like 8 degrees below zero — as New Yorkers braced
for a bone-numbing Arctic blast to sweep into
town Sunday morning.
A “Code Blue” cold
weather alert was in effect as New York City Emergency Management said outreach
teams will be helping connect the homeless to shelters amid the dangerous deep
freeze.
“No one who is
homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be
denied. New Yorkers who see individuals they believe to be experiencing
homelessness and in need should contact 311 via phone or mobile app and request
outreach assistance,” NYCEM said in a statement on X.
“Saturday evening, the
Daily News found two homeless men in downtown Manhattan bedded down on the
sidewalk in sleeping bags, braving the brutal weather — one in the East Village
and one in Chinatown outside a park.
“Asked if he was doing
OK, the man in the East Village answered in gibberish. Raising concern at
first, the man in Chinatown didn’t open his eyes when The News asked if he was
all right — but then he rolled over.
The
New York Post (Jan. 24: ATTACHMENT NINETEEN “A”) also reported on the three frozen
dead... this time with addresses, and with “no criminality” suspected.The Peanut Gallery had swelled to 246
comments by last night... another Post posting by the conservative Post tallied
up the toll as ten (six confirmed homeless) on Thursday (ATTACHMENT NINETEEN
“B”) and solicited comments from the quick (but not dead) that Mayor Zorro had
failed his first big test less than a month in office.
“Ex-FDNY Commissioner
Tom Van Essen said he would have directed firefighters and EMS workers to pick
up homeless people and take them to a shelter during these unbearable
conditions “whether they like it or not.”
He blamed state
lawmakers for refusing to make it easier to haul people off the streets for
their own good.
“We have many
mentally ill people who are incarcerated at Rikers,” Van Essen told The Post.
“But we allow other mentally ill people to freeze to death?”
In other instances,
of hypothermic death, St. Barnabas
Hospital staff found a 60-year-old man unresponsive just outside the medical
center Saturday morning” while another man “was
found naked by a construction worker in the Bronx Monday morning” and yet
another 47-year-old man “was discovered slumped on a bench outside a Key Foods
in Queens, law enforcement sources said.”
“The loss of life
comes after Mamdani said coming into office he would take a less forceful
approach to pulling New Yorkers off the streets by ending homeless encampment
raids heralded by the Adams administration,” the Post recalled.
Zorro replied that
Adams’ sweeps of homeless encampments and incarcerations of the homeless were
“counterproductive” – saying that has ended the practice in his administration.
“There was a real
policy and approach of criminalization of involuntary removals that created an
overwhelming feeling of fear and mistrust among many of the people who were
sleeping unsheltered,” the new Mayo said.
Only 167 Peanuts
posted (granted, in just a few days less – but not including the DJI’s pretty
good suggestion, inspired the Minnesotans and Iranians).Well, despite the usual conspiracy theories
that the homeless were actually terrorists (pretty good, again or that
Democrats were them to move to New York) so maybe the Post is not that right
ringed.
A final note on at
least one of the deaths – “a 90-year-old woman with dementia who was not
homeless, but wandered from her Brooklyn apartment before she was found dead
Monday morning, as reported by the Gothamist,
(below) on Tuesday.
Also citing the three
above, three Batwings from the Gothamist detailed the death of Doreen Ellis,
the 90-year-old Brooklyn woman who had dementia, left her apartment
overnight (ATTACHMENT TWENTY) and was found in her nightgown in the snow behind
a nearby building on Monday morning, family and neighbors said.
They also added the
expiration of 44-year-old Michael Veronico who was
found unresponsive on a Brooklyn stairwell outside Warren and Smith streets at
9:30 AM Saturday morning.
“This is not a case
of death from exposure,” said Michael’s older sister Gia Veronico,
adding that police and city medical examiners told her they had found fentanyl,
crack cocaine and benzodiazepines in his system. “He was a long-term habitual
drug user and it unfortunately killed him.”
The city health
department study said substance use can cause people to become incapacitated
outdoors and make it harder for them to protect themselves in dangerous
weather.
“Things that mess
with or alter the consciousness or one's ability to be aware of how one's body
is feeling are, I think, the things that create the greatest risk,” said Dr.
David Silvestri, an emergency department physician at NYC Health and Hospitals
South Brooklyn Health who also serves as the health system’s assistant chief
for care delivery and oversees its emergency preparedness. “In rare cases, that
could be medications, but in most situations it's alcohol or substances,
particularly the ones that create a level of drowsiness."
Besides alcohol,
drugs, hypothermia and other attendant conditions, the Gothamist, like other
media above, fingered private and public sector bureaucracies in contributing
to the Reaper... citing the case of Ecuadorian immigrant NolbertoJimbo-Niola
who was discovered last Sunday morning sitting, dead, “on a bench in a small
park at the corner of Junction Boulevard and 34th Avenue in North Corona.”
NY State Sen.
Jessica Ramos said he had discharge papers on him from Elmhurst Hospital, which
were dated to that Friday.
"It's unclear
why he was discharged from the hospital if he had nowhere to go during Code
Blue," she said in an interview, referring to the city’s emergency
protocol expanding homeless outreach and shelter access when real-feel
temperatures drop below freezing overnight.
Speaking of more
cold cases, but in unexpected places, California and the southern US are on the
same latitude but, while Hollywood sizzles with near record heat, “one of the longest
cold-air outbreaks in decades is about to get even colder, with record temps as
far south as Florida,” according to CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
More
than 200 daily cold temperature records could be broken from today through
Monday across the eastern half of the US as temperatures plunge further with a
new push of bitter air.(ATTACHMENT TWENTY ONE)
“The
worsening of already deadly cold
is harrowing news for anyone without access to power and shelter, not to
mention the wallets of people paying to
keep warm... more than 350,000 homes and businesses in the South caught in the
cold’s vice-like grip have no power as of Wednesday,” according to PowerOutage.us. Some
have been without it for four days following local storms.
“Nashville,
Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi, are just two of more than two dozen
Southern cities that could set records on Saturday for the coldest daytime
temperatures for the date.
“Nashville,
where power infrastructure was particularly crippled, is forecast to only reach
20 degrees while Tupelo could approach 26 degrees. Those high temperatures are
30 degrees below normal for both cities for this time of year.”
NOT EVEN FLORIDA IS IMMUNE
“More
than three dozen daily cold records — both low temperature and coldest high
temperature records — could be broken or tied in the Sunshine State on Sunday.
“Orlando
could record a low temperature below 30 degrees for the first time in eight
years. It’s forecast to hit 25 degrees there, which would tie a daily record,”
and “definitely be cold enough to send iguanas plummeting from
their perches.”
Miami’s
low temperature on Sunday morning will be a relatively balmy 36 degrees,
which would tie the day’s record low,
but still be way off its all-time
lowest temperature of 28 degrees.
Still, weatherpeople have been known to be
wrong – so better stock up on citrus now.
The prognosticators at Reuters (Wednesday,
Jan, 28, ATTACHMENT TWENTY TWO) predict almost
200 million will grunt and groan under some form of winter cold warning at
least through Monday.
Reuters
also focused on New York City which from this week until early February an
annual count of its homeless population required by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development
"Outreach
workers should be focused on bringing New Yorkers inside, not on data
collection," Mamdani said. "Here is the bottom line, New York City:
Extreme weather is not a personal failure."
Around
500 of the more than 4,000 homeless people estimated to live in the city's
streets and subway have been placed in shelters... most presumably
voluntarily... since January 19, Mamdani said. Reuters added that outreach
workers “were checking every two hours on 350 homeless people who are at
particular risk due to underlying medical conditions.”
Other
hypothermia deaths were reported from Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
South Carolina, Tennessee and Michigan, local media reported.
Forecasters
are watching for another possible winter storm to impact the eastern U.S. this
weekend, said David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's
Weather Prediction Center.
And local WABC’s take on homeless deaths in New York included many of
the above, but also asked whether what they called Mamdani’s nascent
administration “could have done more to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents
ahead of the Arctic blast and the snowstorm that hit early (last) Sunday” with
an eye out towards this weekend.
Studies
have shown that around 15 people suffer
from cold-related deaths in New York City each year. But homeless advocates
said they could not remember another storm in recent memory that resulted in so
many deaths outside in such a brief period.
“The
fact that this many people have passed away shows the city needs to do a much
better job of making people feel safe when they come inside,” said David Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the
Homeless who attacked Zorro from State Left, adding:“It’s not that most of the people on the
streets are unaware of the shelter system, but that they’ve had experiences
there that make them not want to return."
Like
others, who reported on lethal conditions in usually temperate cities like the
country music capitals of Austin and Nashville, Brandy Beard and Debra Worley
of WCAX in South Carolina (Wednesday, 8:56 AM, ATTACHMENT TWENTY FOUR) reported
on another woman... at 96, even older
than the New Yorker... who died of hypothermia – as did two
people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding
accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body
was found covered in snow in Kansas.
In Kentucky, Gov. Andy
Beshear warned that the temperatures could be so frigid
that as little as 10 minutes outside “could result in frostbite or
hypothermia.”
EURWEB.org
(which is not, as some believe, based in Europe and perhaps catering to neo-Nazis
but, in fact an African-American outlet - the Electronic
Urban Report – based in Los Angeles and covering the news, including weather,
from an alternate perspective) took a deeper dive into the death of Moneque Cook, a
53-year-old Black woman from Eastpointe, Michigan.Cook was found dead after spending a night in
subzero temperatures –discoveredbehind a building in Mount Clemens
early Tuesday morning, January 20 or 21, 2026.(Jan. 25, ATTACHMENT TWENTY FIVE)
A waste collection
worker found her barefoot, coatless, and unresponsive around 3:48 a.m. She was
later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The incident has
raised serious concerns about shelter policies, winter safety, and possible
foul play.Moneque
had been living in shelters while struggling with homelessness. That night, she
arrived about 20 minutes late to a shelter due to a bus delay.
Because she missed the
strict check-in cutoff, staff reportedly refused her entry—leaving her outside
with no place to go in the deadly cold. Her death has sparked a firestorm of
criticism over rigid shelter rules and lack of emergency exceptions during
extreme weather.
“She didn’t deserve to
die like this,” one relative told local media. “Even if she was homeless, she
mattered.” The family is pushing for transparency and an independent
investigation into the Moneque Cook death.
SHELTER RULES UNDER
FIRE AFTER DEADLY NIGHT
Advocates argue that
rigid shelter check-in policies are dangerous—especially for those relying on
unreliable public transportation. Cook missed the cutoff
by just minutes.Such policies... which
often are found in many other service bureaucracies against the aims and wishes
of actual providers... seem imposed to stroke the egos of administrators by
demeaning clients – even to the extent of murder.
FROZEN ALL OVER THE
WORLD
As noted above in the
entries on the climatologyof the polar vortex, a
worsening of conditions on one side of the Earth does not mean improvement on
the other.The past month that has seen
polarization has seen it in many forms: the climactic, the responsive and
partisan, and – beyond summers of drought and heat and fire, winters that make
up (at least in part) the average total discrepancies of climate
habitability.Simply speaking, those at
risk of freezing to death in January are most at risk of burning in July.
The homeless death
tolls in America are thus, we see, replicated all across the hemisphere – often
sliding down into the tropics.
If you want to warm up
without a stove or a heater or even just a blanket – go to Australia.Or Argentina.Or South Africa.
Moving west to east
across the Atlantic, the London Free Press (December 8th, ATTACHMENT
TWENTY SIX) reported that an estimated 50
homeless Londoners had already died
so far this year; figures released by the London Homeless Coalition just as
city hall opened its own doors to help people off the street amid frigid
overnight temperatures.
The data reflects
the beginning of January up until Dec. 8 and the 50 deaths already mark an
increase over 2024, which saw 44 deaths, according to coalition data presented in September’s
evaluation of Londonian
community response to health and homelessness.
Sarah
Campbell, executive director of shelter and service provider Ark Aid Street
Mission, told the Freep... an admittedly liberal
journal, such as Freeps worldwide often are... that
our social systems, and our affordable housing projects, and the things that we
believe will catch people, aren’t working, and the ultimate end of that, when
our systems fail us, is death.”
Contrasting,
the convervative Telegraph U.K. stands up for the
rugged individualism of the Brits against a massive mob of puling ninnies,
wealthy enough and cold enough to “give the entire British winter a miss,
swapping London for Sri Lanka or Gran Canaria.”
Telegraph opinionator Orlando Bird scoffs...
“(p)erhaps it’s just some form of Stockholm syndrome,
but the truth is that I don’t mind this time of year. If anything, I’d like it
to be colder: those bright, icy days at the beginning of the year were my idea
of fun (apart from when I was trying desperately not to slip over).
“Maybe I actually need to move to Stockholm,”
chirrups Mister Bird, proving (sort of) that British conservatives still have a
sense of humour, unlike the grim and vengeful
colonials.
Correspondents... they probably count for
something over there, if not here... were rounded up and appeared to be
speaking without provocation or reward.
A “Nigel” swore he’d “hate to live somewhere that was always hot and
sunny.”A realist admitted that climates
were “much worse elsewhere” but a dissenter... an exile named Kimberly, living
in the colonies... said she “lived in Texas, though, where we have decent
winters.”
Joke’s on you, Kim!
Relief Web, a polyglot of self-designated, proud
“humanitarians” sponsored by the United Nations and publishing two years ago
when plague, not precipitation was on the minds of most cited elements of the
January, 2026 “global overview” (ATTACHMENT TWENTY EIGHT),
including a La Nińa presence, flood threats in parts of eastern and southern Africa, parts of the
Caribbean-facing regions, and Colombia – with, also, “abnormally cold
temperatures expected in Central Asia.”
Further dividing the globe to highlight parts of Africa
often forgotten or ignored by the weatherpeople of
the West, their findings included incidents of both flooding and drought.
Reuters,
again (yesterday morning at 12:11 AM EST... closer to dawn GMT) viewed the
interaction of weather and politics in the effects of the former upon national
elections – the first to be held in midwinter in 36 years, with the attendant
risk of “lower voter turnout due to the freezing weather” and heavy snowfalls
of up to 70 centimetres (27.56 inches... a little
over two feet) in the Hokuriku region of northwestern Japan and 60 centimetres (23.6 inches) in south-central Kinki,
particularly along the Sea of Japan... is forecast through Friday, the
Meteorological Agency said.
Japan
is set to host the lower house election on February 8, and heavy snowfalls blanketing
northern Japan could depress voter turnout and disrupt campaigning,
particularly in rural areas.
Heavy
snowfall last week brought northern Japan’s Hokkaido to a standstill, leaving
thousands stranded at its main airport overnight after several dozen flights
were grounded.
Also
in Asia, another AI Overview notes that Siberia and parts of
the Russian Far East are experiencing extreme winter weather, characterized
by intense cold and record-setting snowfall described by local media
as a "snow apocalypse" (or, in the vernacular, “snowpocalyose”.
·Temperatures in
Siberia dropped to -40°C (-40°F) in cities like Krasnoyarsk, with suburban
areas reaching -50°C (-58°F). In Yakutia, temperatures were recorded as low as
-58°C (-72°F) with wind chill, which was noted as the lowest temperature on
Earth at the time.
·The Kamchatka
Peninsula has been buried under massive snowfall, with over 2 meters (7 feet)
falling in the first two weeks of January, on top of 3.7 meters in December.
This has resulted in snow depths of about five and a half feet in
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as of mid-January, and...
·Wind and storms – with wind speeds of 40
to 50 km/h (25-31 mph) causing snow drifts as a result of what was termed a
"stretched" polar vortex, causing intense cold across northern Asia
and Russia.
The weather is also
influencing the seemingly endless war between Russia and Ukraine – the New York
Times tossing off a few takeaways upon tactics, atrocities and aid from the
West centering upon tank technology, training sessions in Siberia and the
increasing use of drones.
On the bright (?)
side, European nations have doubled
down on “pole-rrr” vortices by sending fatigues
lined with polecatfur to Ukraine.
The
last of our AI Overviews on arctic air declared that, in late January, “a major polar vortex
disruption (was) causing a significant southward shift of Arctic air, leading
to extreme cold across the central/eastern U.S. and parts of Siberia.” A
"cold continent" pattern was locked in, with “cold pools” over North
America and Eurasia.
Maps for late
January 2026 show a "disrupted" pattern where the jet stream enables
cold air to plunge from the North Pole, splitting into two "legs"
that affect both North America and Europe/Asia.
And the New York
Post (Jan. 20, ATTACHMENT THIRTY THREE) reported that Russia’s Far East was buried
under meters of snow by its heaviest snowfall in 60 years on Tuesday as a
winter blast swept across Asia, dusting Shanghai white and grounding
flights in Japan’s northwest.
The cold snap disrupted
transport across the region, closing roads in China, stranding air travelers in
Japan and leaving parts of Russia’s Far East paralyzed.
“You’ve got these
two simultaneous bursts of cool air coming down from the Arctic due to a
waviness in the jet stream,” said climate scientist Theodore Keeping, referring
to air currents in the upper atmosphere which define weather patterns.
“The Arctic polar
vortex, which is this massive cold air which circulates the Arctic is
relatively weak right now, and what that means it drives the jet stream less
intensely, and that leads to waves of cool air coming down from the Arctic,”
said Keeping, an extreme weather researcher for World Weather Attribution at
London’s Imperial College Centre for Environmental Policy.
RARE SNOW IN SHANGHAI
The same system
swept south into China, where a wave of low temperatures brought rare
snowfall to the financial hub of Shanghai as authorities warned the
frigid weather could last for at least three days. The east coast
city last experienced heavy snowfall in January 2018.
“It was the first time I have seen such heavy
snowfall in Shanghai,” 23-year-old student Li Meng said.
“The weather seems
rather strange this year,” 30-year-old Shanghai resident Yu Xin said. “Last
week, it was still over 20 degrees Celsius, but this week it dropped below zero
and started snowing.”
IN the NEWS: JANUARY 23rd, 2026 to JANUARY 29th,
2026
Friday, January 23, 2026
Dow: 49,098.71
It’s National Handwriting Day (John Hancock’s birthday).
It’s also business boycott
day for Minnesota protesters (and supporters) who are “avenging” the murder
of Renee Good (an innocent mother or domestic terrorist, partisans dispute)
by not going to stores and buying stuff – but those not protesting are either
out stocking up in anticipation of record cold, snows and ice that can down
trees and snap power lines as Minneapolis temperatures drop to minus forty
and, near the Canadian border, drop to minuessixty three in Grand Marais.
As ice, the slick stuff,
coats the road of the Upperr Midwest, ICE (the
Agency) snatches a five year old who blames his
migrant father for abandoning him after arrest.They are reunited, tho’,
in a detention center.R(esign)IP: FBI agent assigned to Good
case does a Mark Kelly and says he will not lie to America about the details
of the shooting.
President Trump makes more
enemies, including Prince Harry, by declaiming that He and He Alone (and some
brave American soldiers, who vote) fought on in Iraq and Afghanistat
until betrayed by NATO and Ol’ Goneaway
Joe.Actually, 450 British soldiers
died too, as did fighters for other NATO countries.Unmoved, POTUS has a Philadelphia statue
memorializing George Washington’s slaves pulled down as woke propaganda.
Overseas Ukraine Pres.
Zelenskyy says the war with Russia is entering its “last mile” as trilateral
talks among diplomats but Russia continues bombing and droning civilians and , even though Trump defends the Iranian protesters,
the death toll there tops 5,000.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Dow:Closed
ICE and DHS agents shoot and kill another Minnesota civilian, a VA
nurse Alex Pretti who made the mistakes of
photographing them beating up a woman in front of a donut shop and bringing
his gun, which he was licensed to carry.It’s removed, then two perps shoot him ten times.Again, Trump, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and the gang in DC say that he was a hired domestic
terrorist, commissioned to kill police (but not the locals or local Nat.
Guard)
After locking up the five year old alien, ICE doubles down and seizes a two
year old girl as protesters cry: “Where is your humanity?”They accuse her father of child abuse (for
bringing her to America) and also deport a Chinese human rights activist back
to face the executioners in China.
With snow, ice and frigid
temperatures over the Eastern two thirds of America, FEMA job firings are
postponed to deal with power outages that affect over a million.Icy roads in Mississippi.Falling trees in Nashville.Two feet of snow in Boston and New York
where five more homeless people freeze to death.Mayor Zorro faces first big test of his
Democratic Socialist agenda; he meets it by telling jokes on TV and deploying
700M tons of salt.
ICE and ice can’t stop the
killers... one arrested four shot while three children hide in Georgia while
three Indiana women and two men are arrested for the murder of judge Steven
Meyer and his wife in Indiana – allegedly to delay the trial of a suspect.
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Dow:Closed
Sunday talkshows bring partisan takes to
Minnesota murders of Renee Good and, now, Alex Pretti.ICE says he threatened them with his gun, protesters
say he was just taking pictures.Noem and Bondi tell President Trump that he should lock
up Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey for collusion with domestic terror while state
officials sue the Feds to prevent their destroying evidence.
ABC interviews Sen. Klobuchar
(D-Mn) who calls the two killings and gumment
explanations an assault on the First, Second and Fourth Amendments.She justifies yet another gumment shutdown if Republicans insist on tripling ICE
funding in the upcoming Big, Beautiful Budget.Also speaking on budgets...
New Mayor Zorro in first
“This Week” appearance says former Mayor Adams left a $12.6B deficit which
means he’ll have to raise taxes on the rich.As corporations threaten to leave if he does, he warns them not to be
carried away by specters instead of substance, and vows to cut red tape on
small businesses.He vows to replace
“rugged indivisualism” with “warm collectivism”
(tell that to Venezuelans killed by Maduro leftover colectivos)!
Roundtablers
stay true to their ideology: Donna Brazile says
border agents should be at the border, not in the cities; mediacrociesSaraIsgur (SCOTUSblog) and
Rachel Scott (CBS) cite shutdown prospects over ICE fundingand blame Democrats of the past for
increasing Executive Power.Designated
Trumper Robert Bluey of the Daily Signal reiterates necessity of prosecuting
Walz and Frey for not cooperating with White House investigations.
SecTreas
Scott Bessant also blames the Mayor and Governor for the shootings, saying he
has been to protests, too but brought a bullhorn, not a gun and also says
Americans made more sacrifices than the EU, NATO, U.K or Canada in the MidEast wars.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Dow:49,412.40
ICE in the suites where Veep Vance says Democrats engineered the ICE
shootings and FBI Director Kash Patel reiterates
that Pretti shouldn’t have brought a gun to the
protests – but this causes a disturbing pivot from Trump loyalists in the NRA
who say the victim had his Second Amendment rights.An official NRA statement says that
“Peaceful protest while armed isn’t radical, it’s American.”
Ice in the streets and snow
in the skies snarl air and road travel while an icy river causes NY to halt
ferry traffic to Staten and Liberty Islands.A sliding truck spills yogurt all over Oklahoma, Federal offices are
closed in D.C. and schools shut down all over the country.
New England defeats Denver in
a blizzard to reach the Superbowl; Seattle edges L.A. and opens as four point favorite.On the court, Minnesota Timberwolves hold a
kittenish moment of silence for Pretti and Good.
In the courts, President Trump sues world’s richest banker Jamie Dimon of J. P. Morgan for five billion after one of his
accounts is closed.Banker killer
Mangione trial set for Sept. 8th.Jack Smith testifies that Trump caused the One Six insurrection, SnapChat settles, but TikTok, You Tube, META sued for addicting kids to
antisocial media.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Dow:49,003.41
Cold TACOs served up as Trump backtracks on ICE.Director Craig Bovino
is replaced by Border Czar Tom Horan, doing double duty, Bovino
quickly leaves the state, as do some of his most controversial aides.The people in the street celebrate in the
snow, after some storm a hotel in which ICEmen were
staying, while friends and family hold a vigil.“I know it doesn’t sound somber, but it has
been somber.”
Stalwart spokeswoman Karoline
Leavitt still insists Pretti was really killed by
“hostile” Democrats but even thirty Republicans approve of replacement...
hyper-MAGA Texas Gov. Abbott says he’ll “recalibrate” his sentiments.Melania calls for unity and says Donny
loved the documentary about her – even if the critics don’t.
The winter storm gets a name:
“Fern”.Kids get a lot of snow days,
parents get grief.Authorities warn
people whose power fails don’t bring propane heaters into the houses due to
carbon monoxide but natural (safe) gas prices are soaring.
Post-Christmas unemployment is
rising (Nike lays off 775 more), stocks volatile, but gold is now up to over
$5,000/oz.
And RFK Junior, wanting not
to be ignored, says he has found a new vax to disprescribe
and, if fortunate, criminalize... polio.“Polio is your friend,” he is reported to have said.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Dow: 49,015.60
TV techsters warn that Claude AI is an
existential threat to humanity, and the Bulletin of Atonic Scientists moves
the Apocalyse Clock up to 85 seconds before
midnight.Jimmy Kimmel says why not
bring in Ryan Secrest to count it down.“The future is back and we’re all gonna die.”
Cohort Colbert on cohort Seth
Myers’ late(r)nite show (1 AM) says his CBS finale
will be May 21st, if not earlier, for cause.For the sendoff, he says he wants the
Pope.On his own 11:30 show, he
discloses more on the Stephen Miller/Kristi Noem
feud, the processing failure dumping a daily 40M of raw sewage into the
Potomac, and reveals a Trump post that protesters like Minneapolis Mayor Frey
are “playing with fire”.
In icy (the weather)
Minnesota that could use a touch of fire, death of Alex Pretti
brings out cold street protesters and a nice, warm indoor hearing where Rep.
Ilhan Omar calls for abolition of ICE, (the agency), and a spectator sprays
her with liquid – first thought to be acid, downgraded to urine, then
downgraded again to vinegar.Unsaladed, she also advocates impeachment of Kristi Noem, who is alternately praised and damned by President
Trump.Former ICEman
Greg Bovino, replaced, goes back to sunny
California and DHS chief Tom Homan begins his double duty.
And in financial news,
embattled Feddie Powell resists MAGA calls to lower
interest rates as consumer confidence is worst in twelve years.Wall Street volatile, but ambivalent, and gold
tops $5,000/oz – up 83.4% over 2024.TV-con-mystics call it “comfort food”
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Dow: 49,071.56
Another diamond (icy) day in America: trees fall, power cut to at
least 300K, cold people huddle together with other people and animals (think
Three Dog Night).Travel troubles
include airline delays, cancellations and near misses on runways in San
Antonio and Vegas as well as 43 car pileup in foggy
Bakersfield.Miami coldest in 15
years.Dire (Die-er) weather kills
more homeless (a lowly estimated 68, but rising) and brings out all the
buzzwords... “polar vortex”, “bomb cyclone” etc., freezes the Hudson River
and snows in Myrtle Beach, SC.But, as
blizzard moves slightly offshore, weatherpeople
say: “the trend is our friend.”
Protest people protest
outside ICE detention center in Texas holding a five year
old alien that a kind (or evil judge) suspends deportation on.Two Alex Pretti
shooters put on leave as old “prove it” video surfaces of Pretti
kicking an agent’s SUV – a win for the gumment in
that some people view kicking some vehicles as a capital
offense.The Senate votes on ICE
funding today, resistance by asses and even some elephantine Trump
denialists; Bruce Springsteen writes and sings an anti-ICE knockoff: “Streets
of Minneapolis.”
He won’t headline Coachella, tho’.That job
will go to... Justin Bieber!!
The pro football Hall of Fame
rejects six time Superbowl winner.Some say because of occasional cheating
scandals; more likely it’s because he’s “dating” a woman a quarter his age
and they’re jealous.Even old foes
like owner Kraft and rival Brady say he’s the Goat of All Coaches.Eli Manning also rejected.
THE
DON JONES INDEX
CHART of CATEGORIES
w/VALUE ADDED to EQUAL BASELINE of 15,000
(REFLECTING…
approximately… DOW JONES INDEX of June 27, 2013)
Gains in indices as improved are noted in GREEN.Negative/harmful
indices in RED as are their designation.(Note – some of the indices where the total
went up created a realm where their value went down... and vice versa.) See a
further explanation of categories HERE
Bad
weather all over Northern Hempisphere (see
above).France bans social media for
kids.Violent and territorial Amazon
tribe discovered in Peru (by very careful anthropologists).Spanish prosecutor clears Julio Iglesias of
sex crimes.Nicarguan
alien dies in ICE detention camp.
War and terrorism
2%
300
1/8/26
+0.1%
2/6/26
285.44
285.73
Trump calls
drone attack onUkraine train “an act of terror” but still plans trilat talks with Mad Vlad and Z.US military closes in on Iran as protest
deaths rise from 5.000 to 6,000 but SecState Rubio
rules out more attacks on Venezuela and UN calls Gaza situation
“improving”.At home, a man with
“mental issues” rams Brooklyn synagogue; no injuries reported.
Politics
3%
450
1/8/26
-0.2%
2/6/26
459.30
458.38
Social media
murderess arrested trying to hire Trump assassin.“2026 March for Life” draws abortion foes,
Christians and MAGA.Repubs still refighting 2020 election at Georgia polls
with FBI seizing ballots and promising prosecutions; sleepy Don says sleepy
Joe didn’t know who he was by Nov. 2024.
Economics
3%
450
1/8/26
+0.1%
2/6/26
431.79
432.22
Working moms despair, average childcare costs rise to $2,252/mo.
higher than rents in many places.Stocks bouncy, gold is golden. Trump snarls as Fed leaves interest
rates alone, but merches his credit card reforms
capping interest rates – good for consumers, bad for banks – but trolls say
it will cause banks to cut off credit to the poor.Job cuts at Amazon; robots replacing humans
at Pinterest, META, Nike and UPS.
Crime
1%
150
1/8/26
-0.1%
2/6/26
207.46
207.25
Murders
drop to lowest level in decades but fear. posturing & repressive remedies
going sky high.Famed snowborder
turned snow dealer Ryan Wedding
arrested in Mexico City.
ACTS of GOD
(6%)
Environment/Weather
3%
450
1/8/26
-0.3%
2/6/26
281.95
281.10
Mother
Nature brings snow, ice and freezing temperatures to 2/3 of Americans.Travel disrupted in land (blizzard and
black icy roads), sea (Hudson an East Rive ice freezes ferries) and air
(numerous delays and cancellations)
Disasters
3%
450
1/8/26
-0.2%
2/6/26
462.64
461.71
Air
traffic controller in San Antonio hailed for preventing catastrophic plane
crash, but six die in plane crash in Bangor, Maine; 15 in Philippine ferry
sinking.
LIFESTYLE/JUSTICE INDEX
(15%)
Science, Tech, Education
4%
600
1/8/26
nc
2/6/26
614.91
614.91
NASA
Artemis Two crew preparing for round the moon mission.Claude AI called “a threat to
humanity”.Not only preschool daycare but
after-school programs cut, driving more working moms back home.
Equality (econ/social)
4%
600
1/8/26
-0.1%
2/6/26
674.39
673.72
Chris Pappas
of New Hampshire in running to be first (acknowledged) gay Senator.Minnesotans and others call for justice for
Alex Petti and Renee Good.20 year old says she was addicted to social media so, of
course, sues.Travis and
Jason Kelcesupport thefirst Black woman to make
the US Olympic hockey roster. Trump
pulls down “divisive” monument to George Washington’s slaves.
Health
4%
600
1/8/26
-0.1%
2/6/26
417.97
417.55
Nurses in
California and Hawaii out on strike.Many cancers reported down, but colorectal is up in the USA; India’s Nipah virus, spread by bats and pigs, racking up a 75%
kill rate.U.K.’s NHS finalizing a
genetic test, maybe cure, for cancer.Farmworker suffocated in Illinois soybean silo.Recalls include botlistic
powdered milk, 162K Toyotas with faulty screens, Hyundai recalls 568K bad
airbag SUVs; Gerber takes backplasticized baby biscuits.Academy Sports recalls Odyssey rocker
chairs.RFK Jr. declares War on Polio (vaccines!),
JAMA calls Indiana America’s fattest state.
Freedom and Justice
3%
450
1/8/26
+0.1%
2/6/26
482.08
482.56
Leakers leak
news that ICE will be prowling the Winter Olympics in Milan as security for
Team America – Italians are suspicious, @.Back to court with Mangione, Banfield, Busfield,
@, real estate bros and several social media giants accused of corrupting
American youth.
CULTURAL and MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS
(6%)
Cultural incidents
3%
450
1/8/26
+0.1%
2/6/26
578.02
578.60
Boston and
Seattle win NFL conference titles, Superbowl on Feb. 8th.With temps exceeding 100° at Australian Open, @.“Avatar 3” finally dethroned at B.O. by
“Mercy”.Neil Diamond impersonator
movie “Song Sung Blue” impersonated on TV by Hellman’s mayo.Lionel Richie to rejoin Earth, Wind and
Fire.
RIP: Colts owner Jim Irsay, Ketamine OD
suspected; 105 year old Maine Lobster Lady Virginia
‘Ginny’ Oliver; sports broadcaster Geoffrey Mason; Sundance Film Fest in Park
City, UT – moving to Boulder, CO next year
Miscellaneous incidents
4%
450
1/8/26
+0.1%
2/6/26
546.71
547.26
Daredevil
Alex Hunnell climes tallest building in Taipei with
no ropes, no net and no coat (it’s warm over there).Angry animals attack: elephant beats on tourists, kangaroo upends Aussie bicyclists. Sneak
Superbowl Peeks: Michelob features Kurt Russell on skis, Budweiser Clydesdale
Super Bowl ad will feature an eagle for America’s 250th,Iconic (and real) TV eagle lays two
eggs, presumably hatching before July.
The
Index crash was due almost entirely to a foreign balance of trade deficit –
it perhaps almost completely corrected the previous gain therein.Or maybe it was just Christmas shopping on
credit coming home to roost.
The
Don Jones Index for the week of January 23rdthrough January 29th , 2026
wasDOWN 253.20
points
The Don Jones Index is sponsored by the Coalition for a New Consensus:
retired Congressman and Independent Presidential candidate Jack “Catfish”
Parnell, Chairman; Brian Doohan, Administrator.The CNC denies, emphatically, allegations
that the organization, as well as any of its officers (including former
Congressman Parnell, environmentalist/America-Firster Austin Tillerman and
cosmetics CEO Rayna Finch) and references to Parnell’s works, “Entropy and
Renaissance” and “The Coming Kill-Off” are fictitious or, at best, mere pawns
in the web-serial “Black Helicopters” – and promise swift, effective legal
action againth parties promulgating this and/or other
such slanders.
In late January
2026, a major polar vortex disruption caused a severe, multi-day Arctic
outbreak across the central and eastern United States, stretching from Texas to
New England. The stratospheric vortex split, anchoring a deep cold trough over
Hudson Bay and forcing arctic air southward, creating significant snow, ice,
and hazardous,, long-lasting, dangerous wind
chills.
Key January 2026 Polar Vortex Features:
·Split Vortex Mechanism: A significant displacement event occurred, with the
vortex dividing, sending cold energy into North America and Europe.
·Geographic Impact: Cold air
originated near Siberia, crossed the pole, and plunged into the U.S. Midwest,
South, and Northeast.
·Severe Weather Timing: The peak
impact occurred around January 24-27, 2026, with a "perfect setup" of
high-pressure blocking and the jet stream bringing extreme cold deep into the
South.
·Surface Impact: A major,
multi-hazard winter storm produced freezing rain, sleet, and heavy snow, with
states of emergency declared in several areas.
·Temperature Anomalies: Temperatures
plunged 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit below average, causing, for example, daytime
highs in the low 20s in Philadelphia.
Maps from this
period show a "cold continent" pattern, with arctic high pressure
dominating, creating a strong northerly flow, bringing sub-freezing
temperatures far into Texas and as far south as Florida.
POLAR VORTEX MAP SHOWS
STATES WHERE ARCTIC AIR WILL STRIKE
By Joe EdwardsJan 15, 2026 at 09:55 AM EST
Forecasters
say that the polar vortex will usher in waves of frigid air across parts of the U.S.
through January.
The "more active polar vortex will
drive colder air and snow across the central and eastern United States,"
AccuWeather meteorologists said in an advisory shared with Newsweek on
Thursday.
According to
AccuWeather, temperatures may run 10–20 degrees below typical averages across
major cities in the Midwest and Northeast, with the possibility of an even more
intense Arctic blast arriving in early February.
A deep southward dip
in the jet stream—defined by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as "narrow bands
of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere"—over the Great Lakes
is expected to funnel repeated bursts of cold air into the Midwest and
Northeast.
As a result, cities including Chicago and
New York could see temperatures fluctuating from near normal to as much as
10–20 degrees below typical late‑January levels.
Repeated clipper
systems moving through the cold air mass may trigger lake-effect snow bands, as
well as snow squalls and flurries, according to the outlet, which also
cautioned that businesses should anticipate higher heating needs, possible
travel issues, and slower operations as the colder pattern strengthens across
the central and eastern United States heading into next month.
A forecast map from
AccuWeather shared with Newsweek on Thursday showed that
states that could be impacted by this frigid air include the majority of the
eastern U.S.—from Minnesota, the Dakotas and New England in the north right
down to northern Florida.
"The Arctic
blast that will send the chilly conditions all the way down to Florida stems
from far northern Canada," AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham
told Newsweek. "A stretching and displacement of the Polar
Vortex is to blame for the intrusion of the cold, resulting in temperatures
some 15-30 degrees below average extending well into the Southeast."
What Is The Polar Vortex?
The National Weather
Service (NWS) explained that the polar vortex is a broad region of low pressure
and frigid air surrounding each of Earth’s poles. It is a year-round feature,
though it weakens in summer and becomes more intense in winter.
The word 'vortex' refers to the counterclockwise
circulation that helps confine this cold air near the poles. In many northern
hemisphere winters, the polar vortex can stretch southward, allowing cold air to spill down with the jet stream.
This is a fairly
common winter pattern and is often linked to major
Arctic cold outbreaks in the U.S., the
NWS said.
ATTACHMENT THREE –FROM GROKIPEDIA
JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2026 NORTH AMERICAN COLD
WAVE
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave is a developing major extreme weather event characterized by prolonged
frigid temperatures and a significant winter storm affecting large portions of
the United States and parts of Canada starting in late January and forecast to
continue into early February 2026. It is primarily driven by a stretched polar
vortex, influenced by warm Arctic waters, reduced sea ice, and heavy Siberian
snowfall, which is funneling Arctic air southward across the eastern two-thirds
of the U.S. and into southern Canada.[1] A forecast sudden stratospheric warming event in early
February is expected to further disrupt and potentially collapse the polar
vortex, intensifying and prolonging the cold air outbreak into central,
eastern, and southern regions.[2]
The cold wave is forecast to bring
dangerously low temperatures to a large portion of the U.S. population, with
approximately 230 million people expected to experience conditions of 20°F
(-7°C) or colder and subzero lows (potentially -25°F to -30°F or -32°C to
-34°C) in northern and midwestern areas. Average lows across the Lower 48
states are expected to drop to around 11–12°F (-12°C to -11°C) over several
days. Freezing conditions and associated hazards are forecast to extend
unusually far south, reaching the Deep South, including ice accumulations in
the southern Plains, mid-South, and Carolinas, as well as freeze warnings and
bitter cold in Florida and Texas.[1][3][4]
A widespread winter storm from January 23–26,
2026, is expected to produce heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a vast
area from Texas to New England, threatening over 150 million people with ice
and snow accumulations that risk power outages, tree damage, and travel
disruptions. Significant snowfall is forecast in parts of the Northeast, with
frigid conditions expected to persist through the end of January and into early
February, with lingering ice and snow complicating recovery.[1][4][3]
METEOROLOGICAL BACKGROUND
Sudden stratospheric warming event
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave was triggered by a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event that peaked in
mid-January 2026. Sudden stratospheric warming is a phenomenon involving a
rapid and substantial rise in temperature and pressure within the polar
stratosphere, which disrupts the normal circulation of the stratospheric polar
vortex.[5]
During this event, temperatures in the
mid-stratosphere rose 20–30 °C above normal, driven by upward-propagating
atmospheric waves from lower levels that created a strong high-pressure anomaly
and warming wave. These waves disrupted the polar vortex by deforming and
stretching its structure, weakening zonal wind speeds and reducing the vortex's
ability to maintain its circular, stable form.[5]
The weakening originated in the stratosphere
and influenced tropospheric circulation patterns through downward propagation
of anomalies, establishing conditions that favored northerly flows and the
release of Arctic air masses into mid-latitudes. This SSW was moderate rather
than a major wind-reversing event but still significantly disrupted the vortex,
setting the stage for further tropospheric breakdown.[5]
POLAR VORTEX COLLAPSE
The polar vortex is a large-scale, persistent
low-pressure system of cold air encircling the North Pole in the upper
troposphere and stratosphere, characterized by strong westerly winds that
typically confine Arctic air masses to high latitudes during winter.[6][7]
In mid-January 2026, a sudden stratospheric
warming (SSW) event initiated a major disruption of this circulation. The SSW
caused a rapid rise in stratospheric temperatures and pressure over the pole,
leading to a deceleration and weakening of the circumpolar westerly winds. This
destabilized the polar vortex, resulting in an initial elongation or
"stretched" configuration observed at the 10 hPa
level (approximately 30 km altitude) by mid-January.[8]
The disruption intensified in late January as
a stronger stratospheric warming anomaly, combined with stratospheric wave
reflection, further eroded the vortex structure. Model analyses from ECMWF and
GFS indicated the vortex core splitting into separate components, with
high-pressure anomalies at the 50 hPa level
(approximately 20 km altitude) displacing portions of the vortex southward over
North America. In the troposphere, the vortex broke down into two distinct
"legs" extending toward the United States and Europe.[8]
This tropospheric collapse and displacement
significantly reduced the vortex's ability to contain cold Arctic air. By
opening pathways for polar air masses to move equatorward, the disruption
facilitated a southward surge of Arctic air into mid-latitudes, contributing to
the prolonged cold wave across much of North America.[8][2]
Forecasts indicate a potential additional SSW
event in early February 2026 that could further reinforce the instability, with
model projections showing a possible full polar vortex collapse, including wind
reversals at the 10 hPa level and splitting into
multiple subvortices, which would prolong the
weakened state into mid-February.[2]
JET STREAM DISPLACEMENT AND COLD AIR
OUTBREAKS
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave was characterized by pronounced displacement and amplification of the
polar jet stream, driven by the disruption of the stratospheric polar vortex.
This upper-level disruption propagated
downward, altering the tropospheric polar jet stream into a more
meridional and wavy pattern with increased amplitude. The jet stream's
normally zonal flow became amplified, creating deep troughs over the central
and eastern United States that established a direct corridor for Arctic air to advect southward from high latitudes.[2][1]
The displaced jet stream facilitated repeated
cold air outbreaks through the southward movement of Arctic air masses behind
successive cold fronts. These outbreaks occurred as the amplified jet stream
waves allowed polar air to plunge into mid-latitudes, resulting in persistent
northerly flow patterns that transported extremely cold air across much of the
continent. The pattern produced multiple surges of Arctic air, sustaining
below-average temperatures over broad regions throughout the period.[2][9]
CHRONOLOGY
MID-JANUARY ONSET
The mid-January onset of the cold wave was
marked by a major disruption to the polar vortex, which became elongated and
deformed, enabling the first substantial southward surge of Arctic air into
North America around January 16, 2026.[8] This disruption, featuring a
stretched polar vortex structure observed at stratospheric levels (10 mb),
facilitated northerly flow that directed frigid air masses toward the
continent.[8]
Forecasts issued on January 16 indicated that
the weakened and displaced polar vortex would deliver the season's coldest air
to the United States and Canada, with initial impacts expected in southern
Canada and extending southward into the northern, central, and eastern United
States, potentially reaching the Southeast and Florida.[8] A high-pressure
anomaly over northern Canada further supported this displacement, reinforcing
the northerly flow over the eastern U.S.[8]
The first Arctic blast arrived over the
weekend of January 17–18, acting as an initial "appetizer" surge that
transitioned conditions from milder early-January weather—driven by a
previously strong polar vortex—to notably colder temperatures across much of
the eastern and central U.S.[10] By January 19, extreme cold had become
widespread, affecting over 230 million Americans with below-freezing
temperatures and wind chills dropping to -10°F to -30°F across the Upper
Midwest, Northern Plains, Ohio Valley, and interior Northeast.[9]
Cold Weather Advisories and warnings were
promptly issued in response to the rapid temperature drops, highlighting
life-threatening conditions including rapid frostbite risk within 10–30 minutes
of exposure amid wind chills as low as -20°F to -40°F in some northern border
areas.[9] This phase established the cold wave's early footprint, with the
initial southward Arctic air push and associated temperature declines setting
the foundation for subsequent intensification.[8][10][9]
LATE JANUARY DEEP FREEZE
The late January deep freeze is expected to
mark a period of intense Arctic air incursion during the cold wave, as a
displaced polar vortex drives frigid air masses into the central and eastern
United States and parts of Canada. Temperatures are forecast to plunge
dramatically across northern and central regions, commonly running 10–30°F below
average, with some areas potentially experiencing anomalies approaching 30°F
below normal.[11]
In the Midwest, cities such as Chicago are expected to
see temperatures drop into the single digits Fahrenheit or below zero,
accompanied by wind chills
reaching as low as -20°F to -40°F, creating life-threatening conditions.
Similar extremes are forecast to affect other parts of the Upper Midwest and
Great Lakes region, where wind chills may frequently fall to -40°F or lower
near the northern border. The Northeast is also expected to endure severe cold,
with low temperatures in the single digits and wind chills ranging from -15°F
to -5°F in locations such as Cleveland and Pittsburgh.[9]
The frigid air mass is forecast to extend
unusually far south, bringing subfreezing temperatures to regions rarely
affected by such extremes. Freezing conditions are expected to reach Texas, the
Carolinas, Florida, and the Gulf Coast, where overnight lows may dip below
freezing and create hazardous conditions across the South.[9][12]
Approximately 230 million people across the
United States are forecast to face extreme cold with temperatures below 20°F,
while at least 85 million are under extreme cold warnings, watches, or
advisories extending from the northern Plains to the South. This widespread
deep freeze is expected to persist through the end of January, setting the
stage for continued and potentially intensified cold into early February.[3]
MAJOR WINTER STORM SYSTEM
A major winter storm system developed in late
January 2026 amid the ongoing cold wave and is forecast to deliver widespread
heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Plains to the Northeast
between January 23 and January 26.[13][14]
The storm originated in the Southern and
Central Plains on January 23, where 5–8 inches of snow is expected to
accumulate in many areas, with isolated totals up to a foot in parts of
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri; significant freezing rain is also anticipated
in portions of Texas and Louisiana.[13] It is tracking eastward on January 24,
with a hazardous mix of snow and significant ice accumulation forecast for the
Southeast, including Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and the Carolinas, where
icing poses risks of power outages and travel hazards.[14][13]
By January 25–26, the system is expected to
reach the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, producing heavy snowfall across a broad
area from northern Virginia to New England, with rates as high as 1 inch per
hour in some locations.[13] In Boston and surrounding areas, snowfall totals
are forecast to reach 15–20 inches in most spots, with higher amounts possible
up to 2 feet.[15] The prolonged duration of the storm in the Northeast is
expected to contribute to whiteout conditions, blowing and drifting snow, and
major disruptions to transportation.[15][13]
Spanning over 2,000 miles and forecast to
impact more than 180–235 million people across dozens of states, the storm has
prompted widespread winter storm warnings, travel advisories, flight
cancellations, and declarations of emergency in at least 14 states.[14][13] The
combination of heavy precipitation and bitterly cold air from the ongoing polar
vortex disruption is expected to amplify hazards such as icy roads, black ice
formation, and potential long-duration power outages.[14][13]
PERSISTENCE THROUGH EARLY FEBRUARY
The cold air mass associated with the
January–February 2026 North American cold wave is expected to remain entrenched
across much of the United States and Canada into early February, with
below-average temperatures forecast to continue despite anticipated slight
easing of the most extreme conditions from late January. Meteorologists
indicate that the frigid weather is likely to persist into early February,
potentially exacerbated by slow melting of accumulated snow and ice under
sustained low temperatures.[16]
This expected persistence stems from a
locked-in atmospheric pattern featuring a stretched polar vortex, driven by a
combination of unusually low Arctic sea ice
coverage—particularly in the Barents and Kara seas—and heavy snowfall across
Siberia, which reinforces upper-level waves conducive to repeated southward
surges of Arctic air. The alignment of a relatively warm Arctic with cold
continental land masses is further contributing to the maintenance of northerly
flow and preventing rapid moderation of the cold.[16]
An additional factor expected to prolong the
cold is a forecasted sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event in early
February, which model data indicate could result in a full collapse and
splitting of the polar vortex. This disruption is expected to delay surface
impacts but ultimately reinforce prolonged cold air advection into
mid-latitudes, sustaining below-average temperatures across large portions of
the U.S. and southern Canada through the first half of February.[2]
Forecasts indicate a transitional phase in
early February, with warmer-than-normal anomalies appearing in parts of the
northern U.S. and southern Canada, though these are not necessarily mild and
cold conditions are expected to remain dominant in the eastern and southern
U.S. By mid-February, ensemble model data suggest the potential reestablishment
of a stable cold air corridor extending from southern Canada into much of the
U.S., reflecting the lingering influence of the forecasted vortex collapse
before gradual weakening allows a shift toward more seasonal conditions.[2]
TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES AND RECORDS
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave produced substantial negative temperature anomalies across much of the
United States and southern Canada, driven by the southward surge of Arctic air
following polar vortex disruption. Many regions experienced departures from
normal ranging from 20–40°F (11–22°C) below average during peak cold episodes,
particularly in the Midwest, Plains, and Northeast, with anomalies often
persisting for several days.[17][18]
In the northern Plains and Upper Midwest,
extreme cold was especially pronounced, with wind chills dropping to -40°F to -55°F in areas including
Minneapolis, Duluth, Fargo, and parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Locations such as Hibbing, Minnesota, saw low temperatures around -29°F with
wind chills to -44°F, marking some of the coldest conditions since late January
2019 for the region.[19][20]
The cold air outbreak extended unusually far
south, bringing subfreezing temperatures and potential daily record lows to
parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and other southern states.
Multiple locations in these areas threatened or experienced record cold highs
and lows over consecutive days, with wind chills falling into the single digits
below zero or lower. This southward penetration marked a significant departure
from typical winter patterns, enabling freezing conditions across a broad swath
of the southern U.S.[18][21]
In the Northeast, temperatures ran 15–25°F
below average during the core of the event, contributing to prolonged cold that
ranked among the most severe in recent memory for some cities. Similar
below-average departures affected much of the eastern and central U.S., with
the cold air mass described as one of the strongest Arctic intrusions in years
in certain areas, such as Minnesota, where it was noted as the coldest in seven
years for parts of the state.[18][20]
SNOWFALL, ICE, AND PRECIPITATION RECORDS
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave has featured notable snowfall, ice accumulations, and mixed frozen
precipitation across large portions of the United States and Canada,
particularly associated with a major winter storm system in late January. This
storm, spreading heavy snow, sleet, and ice from the southern Plains to the
Northeast, is forecast to produce some of the most significant precipitation
totals of the event.[22][23]
In the Northeast, especially New England, the
late January storm (around January 23–25) is forecast to deliver substantial
snowfall. Greater Boston is expected to receive snowfall totals most likely in
the 15–20 inch range, with a reasonable worst-case scenario
up to 2 feet. Much of southern New England is expected to see at least a foot
of snow in many locations, while northern New England is generally forecast to
accumulate around a foot or less. These potential amounts could cause
widespread travel disruptions, school closures, and risks of power outages due
to snow weight and winds.[24][15][25]
Farther south, the same storm is expected to
produce a potentially catastrophic ice event across a broad swath from northern
Texas to southern Virginia, with significant ice accumulations forecast from
freezing rain and sleet. Areas in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are expected to
experience a hazardous mix of sleet, freezing rain, and snow before
transitioning to heavier snow farther north and east. This potential ice storm
is forecast to affect dozens of cities and could contribute to major
infrastructure and travel impacts.[26][22]
Earlier in mid-January (around January 19), a
separate precipitation event produced more modest but still notable snowfall in
parts of Massachusetts, with Boston recording 5.3 inches at Logan Airport—the
highest single-storm total for the city up to that point in the season—and
nearby areas like Dighton receiving up to 7.4 inches. These events collectively
highlight the prolonged and widespread frozen precipitation associated with the
cold wave.[27]
REGIONAL IMPACTS
UNITED STATES
The January–February 2026 cold wave brought
prolonged Arctic air into much of the United States following the displacement
and weakening of the polar vortex, resulting in temperatures well below average
across northern, central, and eastern regions. Approximately 23
0 million people were forecast to experience
dangerously low temperatures (such as 20°F/-7°C or colder in many areas), with
extreme cold warnings, watches, or advisories affecting large populations and
winter storm watches or warnings issued across areas from Montana and New
Mexico eastward.[3][9][28]
In the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, the
cold surge produced life-threatening wind chills of -20°F to -40°F, with cities
such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities recording temperatures below
zero or in the single digits, exacerbated by wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph. These
conditions persisted through late January, with a second Arctic air surge on January
22 maintaining wind chills of -20°F to -30°F, and near -40°F along the northern
border. Frostbite risks were significant, with potential onset in as little as
10 to 30 minutes of exposure.[9]
The Midwest and Ohio Valley faced repeated
subfreezing waves, contributing to widespread extreme cold through the end of
January. A significant late-January winter storm brought heavy snowfall, sleet,
and freezing rain across central and eastern regions, with hazardous conditions
extending into the interior Northeast.[3][2]
In the South and Gulf Coast, the cold air
extended unusually far south in late January, excluding only the Southwest and
Florida initially, with potential for rare snow, sleet, and ice accumulations.
Infrastructure faced considerable strain from
the extreme conditions, including risks of power outages due to ice
accumulation and dangerous travel conditions from snow, ice, and low
visibility, particularly during the major winter storm and prolonged cold
periods.[3]
CANADA
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave is bringing extreme cold and related weather hazards to much of Canada,
driven by a weakening polar vortex and potential stratospheric warming
influences displacing Arctic air southward.[29][30][2]
The event began intensifying in mid-January,
with Arctic outbreaks affecting the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic
Canada. Temperatures have fallen below seasonal norms, often by 20–30°F
(11–17°C) in affected regions, with forecasts for lows reaching -30°C to -40°C
in Manitoba, eastern Saskatchewan, and northwestern Ontario. Daytime highs in
the Prairies are expected to remain in the -30s °C for several days in
hardest-hit areas. In southern Ontario, including Toronto, forecast highs are
around -16°C (potentially the coldest since January 2018) with lows to -24°C
(potentially the coldest since February 2016). Ottawa forecasts highs near
-21°C, while Montreal forecasts highs around -20°C with a possibility of -30°C
(a level not seen since January 1994, though considered low probability).
Quebec and parts of Atlantic Canada are expected to experience similar
extremes, with highs in the -20s °C in northwestern New Brunswick and overnight
lows into the -20s °C in the Maritimes.[29][31]
Precipitation effects include potential
intense lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes region under persistent
northwesterly flows, with forecast accumulations of 15–20+ inches in Toronto
and surrounding areas. Strong winds in Alberta and Saskatchewan, gusting to
70–80 mph, are causing blowing snow, reduced visibility, and travel
disruptions. Atlantic Canada is expected to be impacted by a major winter storm
system moving from the United States, delivering forecast 10–25 cm of snow
along with frigid temperatures and severe wind chills from January 25 into 26.[30][32]
As of late January 2026, cold conditions
continue, with forecasts indicating potential persistence into February
following a possible sudden stratospheric warming event in early February,
which could sustain below-normal temperatures across southern and eastern
Canada.[2]
SOCIETAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES
ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE DISRUPTIONS
The extreme cold and accompanying winter
storm during the January–February 2026 North American cold wave placed
significant strain on energy infrastructure, particularly electric grids and
natural gas systems, across the United States. Grid operators warned of
elevated risks due to surging electricity demand from heating needs, combined
with physical threats from ice accumulation and freezing temperatures.[33][34]
The PJM Interconnection, covering 13 states
and Washington, D.C., forecasted record winter peak demand exceeding 130,000 MW
over multiple consecutive days, an unprecedented streak attributed to prolonged
heating usage and growing loads from data centers.[33] Reduced natural gas
supplies—caused by frozen wells, pipes, and production facilities in the
Midwest and Great Plains—drove prices to six-week highs and compounded
challenges for power generation and heating.[33]
Ice and snow accumulation posed major threats
to transmission lines and equipment, with forecasters and utilities
anticipating widespread power outages from downed trees and lines weighted by
ice, particularly in the South where electricity serves as the primary heating
source in many homes across at least 11 states from Texas to Virginia.[35][34]
Southern regions faced higher vulnerability due to infrastructure less prepared
for extreme cold, reviving concerns from prior events like the 2021 Texas
freeze.[35][36]
In Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of
Texas (ERCOT) assessed a low probability of controlled outages while
emphasizing winterization improvements and inspections implemented since
2021.[33] Grid managers across affected areas postponed routine maintenance,
mobilized repair crews, and coordinated backup resources to avert major
failures, though local outages from ice damage remained possible.[34]
Freezing temperatures also risked damage to
water and plumbing infrastructure, with reports of heightened preparations for
burst pipes in cities like Atlanta.[35] While no catastrophic, region-wide
blackouts on the scale of past crises were immediately reported in early coverage,
the prolonged cold amplified ongoing grid vulnerabilities and energy supply
constraints.[36]
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL IMPACTS
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave caused extensive disruptions to transportation and travel, particularly
during the intense winter storm in late January that brought heavy snow,
freezing rain, and ice across much of the United States. Air travel faced
widespread cancellations, with nearly 1,800 flights canceled through Saturday,
January 24, and over 2,000 through Sunday, January 25, affecting major hubs
including Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Charlotte, and others. Airlines such as
American (canceling about 16-18% of Saturday flights), Delta (preemptively
canceling in states including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and
Tennessee), Southwest, United, and others issued broad travel waivers for
dozens of airports and warned of delays due to de-icing, ground stops, and
operational challenges at southern airports unaccustomed to such
conditions.[37][23]
Road
travel was severely hampered by treacherous
conditions, with ice accumulations and snow leading to hazardous or impassable
highways across the Southern Plains, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
Multiple major winter storms in January impacted the I-95 northeast corridor,
bringing heavy snow (up to 12-18 inches in northern areas, 6-12 inches
elsewhere), ice accumulations (0.1-0.25 inches), sleet, and freezing rain,
which caused hazardous travel conditions, widespread delays, road closures,
commercial vehicle bans, and speed restrictions (e.g., 35 mph on NJ
Turnpike/I-95 sections due to snow plowing), especially during January
24-26.[37] States including Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, and New York declared states of emergency and
urged against unnecessary travel on interstates such as I-20, I-40, and I-95.
Services such as 511nj.org and 511ny.org provided real-time updates on closures,
restrictions, and plowing operations. Notable incidents included a more than
100-vehicle pileup in western Michigan involving numerous tractor-trailers
under whiteout conditions, resulting in several injuries. Trucking operations
faced major halts, with road closures, downed trees and power lines, and ice
extending transit times by 24-48 hours or more along key corridors, further
straining supply chains for automotive, e-commerce, and other time-sensitive
freight.[38][39]
Rail
services also experienced significant interruptions,
with Amtrak fully or partly canceling more than 75 trains across the East
Coast, Midwest, and South between Friday, January 23, and Sunday, January 25,
affecting routes including the Empire Builder and Heartland Flyer, and offering
fee-free rebooking. Commuter rail networks in the Northeast, such as New Jersey
Transit, Metro-North, and Long Island Rail Road, reported potential delays and
provided real-time updates.[23][37]
These transportation disruptions, most acute
during the late-January storm but compounded by persistent cold into early
February, led to cascading delays in passenger and freight movement across the
affected regions of the United States.[38]
HUMAN
HEALTH AND FATALITIES
The extreme cold and wind chills during the January–February
2026 North American cold wave created life-threatening health risks,
particularly hypothermia
and frostbite, as temperatures plummeted well below average across large
parts of the United States and Canada. Forecasters and health officials repeatedly
warned that exposed skin could suffer frostbite in minutes under such
conditions, with wind chills reaching as low as -30°F in regions like
Michigan.[40][41][42]
Doctors highlighted additional cardiovascular strains from the cold,
noting that frigid air causes blood vessels to constrict, increasing blood
pressure and the risk of heart attacks, especially during physical exertion
like snow removal. Vulnerable populations—including the elderly,
individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, and those experiencing
homelessness—faced heightened susceptibility to cold-related illnesses.[43]
Public health guidance emphasized prevention,
urging residents to limit outdoor time, dress in layers, recognize early hypothermia signs (such as
shivering, confusion, and slurred speech), and seek immediate warmth if
symptoms appeared. Authorities also advised checking on at-risk neighbors
during prolonged subfreezing periods.[44][45][46]
No specific fatalities directly attributed to
cold-related illnesses were detailed in initial reports of the event, though
warnings underscored the potential for both direct effects (like hypothermia)
and indirect ones (such as accidents on icy roads or health complications
during power outages).[42]
AGRICULTURE AND BROADER ECONOMIC EFFECTS
The January–February 2026 North American cold
wave, driven by a polar vortex disruption and arctic air surge, posed significant risks to
agriculture across affected regions, particularly in the Midwest, Plains, and
parts of the South. Winter wheat crops in the Plains were especially vulnerable due to a
lack of protective snow cover ahead of the cold outbreak, increasing the
potential for freeze damage and reduced yields.[47]
In the Tri-State area (encompassing parts of
Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa), icy conditions could negatively affect perennial
crops and wheat, while frozen soils could contribute to economic losses through
fertilizer runoff, reducing the effectiveness of applications and raising costs
for farmers. Experts noted that while cold temperatures can offer benefits such
as pest control and soil preservation, these negative effects required careful
management.[48]
A meteorologist warned that the associated
winter storm, with a band of ice from northern Texas and Oklahoma to the Washington,
D.C. area, risked widespread
crop damage—including stalk breakage in wheat—and disruptions to supply
chains, hindering the transportation and distribution of agricultural products
across the South and Southeast. Prolonged cold in the Corn Belt and Great Lakes
regions further exacerbated concerns for multiple commodities.[49]
The arctic blast also influenced commodity
markets, with wheat prices surging amid fears of threats to harvests from the
extreme conditions.[50]
In Michigan, a cold snap with lows
approaching or below -10°F raised concerns for fruit crops, but assessments indicated that most,
including apples, pears, tart cherries, and blueberries, would likely avoid
widespread injury as temperatures remained within historical tolerance ranges
for dormant buds. Localized risks persisted for more sensitive crops such as peaches and vinifera grapes
in areas with limited snow cover or poor cold air drainage.[51]
Livestock producers in the Midwest prepared
for the extreme cold, though no widespread losses were reported in available
accounts. Overall, the event highlighted vulnerabilities in supply chains and
certain crop sectors, contributing to short-term economic pressures in affected
agricultural regions.
FORECASTS, WARNINGS, AND RESPONSES
METEOROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS AND OUTLOOKS
Meteorological predictions for the
January–February 2026 North American cold wave emerged in early January 2026,
with model data and expert analyses signaling potential polar vortex
disruptions and Arctic air intrusions into the continent. Long-range
indications from models such as the Climate Forecast System (CFS) highlighted
patterns conducive to below-normal temperatures across parts of the eastern
United States and Canada through late January and into February.[52]
By mid-January, more specific forecasts
pinpointed multiple Arctic blasts tied to polar vortex stretching.
Climatologist Judah Cohen predicted an initial polar vortex stretch in
mid-January bringing below-normal temperatures to the Eastern U.S., followed by
a second, potentially more intense Arctic outbreak toward the end of the month.
These outlooks anticipated significant cold air advection into the
North-Central and Northeastern U.S., with temperature anomalies reaching
10–20°F below average in some areas, such as Chicago.[10]
Forecasts from sources like Severe Weather Europe, based on GFS
and ECMWF model data, warned of an ongoing polar vortex deformation in late January, with a
strong cold airmass expected to affect southern and eastern Canada as well as
most of the United States (excluding the Southwest and Florida). Ensemble
guidance showed high confidence in initial disruptions, including reinforced
cold anomalies and potential winter storms across the central, southern, and
eastern U.S. by the end of January.[2]
Late January updates, including those issued
on January 23, elevated alerts for a sudden stratospheric warming event forecasted to begin in early
February, potentially leading to a full polar vortex collapse or split.
ECMWF ensemble data indicated strong high-pressure anomalies and stratospheric
temperature spikes exceeding 50°C above normal at the 10mb level, with trends
toward wind reversal and prolonged vortex weakening. This was expected to
sustain a cold air corridor from southern Canada into much of the U.S. through
mid-February, following transitional patterns in early February.[2][52]
GOVERNMENT AND EMERGENCY MEASURES
In response to the severe cold temperatures,
heavy snowfall, ice accumulation, and hazardous conditions brought by the
January–February 2026 North American cold wave, multiple U.S. state governments
issued emergency declarations to activate resources and coordinate
responses.[53][54]
Governors in states including Texas, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York declared states of emergency or similar
states of preparedness as the Arctic air surge and associated winter storm
(named Fern in some reports) threatened widespread disruptions.[53][54][55]
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott activated emergency resources ahead
of dangerously cold temperatures, snow, and ice expected to create hazardous
travel conditions across north and central regions.[53]
North
Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of
emergency and urged residents to stock supplies and prepare for potential power
outages.[53]
South
Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of
emergency and mobilized the National Guard to support communities amid heavy
snow, freezing rain, and ice.[53]
New
York Governor Kathy Hochul
declared a statewide state of emergency, coordinated with local officials
including New York City leadership, and emphasized public safety preparations
amid extreme cold and lake-effect snow risks.[54][53]
Maryland
Governor Wes Moore issued a state of preparedness, directing the Department of Emergency
Management to coordinate state-level preparations for the incoming weather
system.[53]
These declarations enabled states to mobilize
resources preemptively, including coordination among state agencies, to address
anticipated impacts such as travel hazards, power outages, and hypothermia
risks.[53]
Governors and officials issued public safety
advisories urging residents to stay indoors during extreme cold periods, dress
appropriately, prepare emergency kits, monitor weather forecasts, and avoid
unnecessary travel to prevent hypothermia and frostbite.[53]
In Canada, Environment and Climate Change
Canada issued widespread extreme cold warnings across provinces, alerting
residents to frigid temperatures and wind chills that posed significant health
risks, though no nationwide or provincial emergency declarations were reported
in connection with the event.[56]
RECOVERY AND LONG-TERM ASSESSMENTS
As the January–February 2026 cold wave and
associated winter storm are forecast to subside in mid-February 2026, recovery
efforts are expected to prioritize restoring essential services, clearing snow
and ice from roads and infrastructure, and addressing immediate safety concerns
in heavily impacted regions of the United States and Canada.
Damage assessments are anticipated to follow,
focusing on infrastructure repairs, property damage from heavy snow, sleet, and
ice, and disruptions from the storm system affecting areas from the southern
Plains to the Northeast. For example, significant snowfall in areas like Boston
may require extensive snow removal and structural evaluations.
Long-term assessments, including economic
reviews of costs such as elevated energy burdens from potential outages and
heating demands, are expected to occur following the event.[57]
Forecasts and early analyses indicate that
the event's drivers include a forecast sudden stratospheric warming (SSW)
event, with sources noting disruptions beginning in mid-January and a major
event expected in early February 2026, contributing to polar vortex weakening
and southward Arctic air surges.[2][8]
Some research and expert commentary have
explored potential linkages to climate change, noting that Arctic warming and
reduced sea ice may contribute to conditions that destabilize the polar vortex,
allowing more frequent or intense mid-latitude cold outbreaks, though the exact
dynamics require further study.[58]
The
Arctic is officially “leaking” and things are getting weird.
Arctic air is reportedly breaking containment, pushing freezing temperatures
much further south than usual—reaching deep into North America and even parts
of Florida.
Experts are pointing toward major disruptions in the Jet Stream, which usually
keeps the cold “in its lane.” When that boundary weakens, the cold mass slips
out, causing massive system shifts, unpredictable storms, and record-breaking
lows in regions built for heat.
It’s a reminder that the biggest shifts often start at the edges of the map
before they hit the headlines.
ATTACHMENT FIVE –FROM AI OVERVIEW
Approximately 700
people experiencing or at risk of homelessness die from hypothermia annually in
the U.S., as 44% of this population is unsheltered. Hypothermia is a leading,
preventable cause of injury and death for unhoused individuals. While drug overdoses
are a leading cause of overall homelessness mortality (45%), cold-related
deaths remain a critical risk.
·Risk Factor: Roughly 44% of
the U.S. homeless population is unsheltered, directly exposing them to extreme cold.
·Preventability: Hypothermia is
a leading, critical, and preventable cause of injury and death.
·Annual Impact: Around 700
people experiencing or at risk of homelessness die from hypothermia annually in
the U.S..
·Context: While often
associated with winter, hypothermia can occur in various weather conditions,
affecting those on both urban streets and in rural, remote areas.
ATTACHMENT SIX –FROM NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END
HOMELESSNESS
HOMELESS COUNTS ARE AT A RECORD HIGH.
The United States experienced an unprecedented rise in homelessness,
driven by the nation’s affordability crisis. Homelessness increased 18
percent, from 653,104 people during the 2023 Point-in-Time
(PIT) Count to 771,480 people during the last survey
DEMAND FOR HOMELESS SERVICES IS ON THE RISE.
Homeless response workers are connecting more people with housing and
shelter than ever before, in addition to services like healthcare, employment,
and income support programs. In 2024, homeless response workers served more
than 1.1 million people in need, a 12 percent increase from
2023.
RESOURCES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO MEET DEMAND.
Homeless service organizations do not have enough shelter, housing, and
services to meet everyone’s needs. In 2024, no community had
enough permanent
housing to serve everyone experiencing homelessness Recent estimates also
suggest that over the course of 2024, the response system only had enough units
to house 16 percent of households currently staying in shelter.
HOMELESSNESS IS INCREASING AMONG VULNERABLE GROUPS.
More people with disabilities, children, and older adults are
experiencing homelessness. Proposed cuts to the Continuum
of Care (CoC) program; cuts to other social safety nets like Medicaid; and punitive
policies like fining, citing, arresting, and jailing people will make it
harder to rehouse these populations. This will make homelessness worse and harm
both public health and public safety.
DEMOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES PERSIST.
Homelessness does not impact all groups equally. Black communities, as
well as Indigenous communities, continue to experience much higher rates of
homelessness than the general population. Gender-expansive people also face higher rates of unsheltered
homelessness.
GEOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES LINGER.
More people experiencing homelessness in rural and suburban areas
are unsheltered, in part due to federal cuts to rural housing programs and barriers to rural development.
Still, most people experiencing homelessness live in urban areas in a handful
of states due to the larger populations in these areas.
THE UNITED STATES CAN END HOMELESSNESS.
Within the past decade, homelessness was on the decline. Targeted
investments in deeply affordable housing, voluntary wraparound health services,
and income support contributed to large reductions in veteran homelessness:
they demonstrate how policies and programs can end homelessness among all
groups.
LOW
INCOMES, A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WEAK SAFETY NETS DRIVE RECORD HIGH
HOMELESSNESS
When people cannot afford to pay rent, homelessness increases. America’s
housing affordability crisis is caused by deeply rooted challenges:
·not enough deeply affordable housing development and preservation;
·the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds, which temporarily expanded
assistance programs and household incomes; and
·discriminatory policies and practices that make it even harder for
certain groups to find housing.
The lack of deeply affordable housing is the primary cause of
homelessness. For many, rising costs create an impossible choice between
paying for housing and other necessities like healthcare, groceries, or
clothing.
Only 35 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100
extremely low-income renter households. Year after year, this number stays the
same or shifts incrementally as the development and preservation of affordable
housing does not keep up with demand. Meanwhile, elected officials have failed
to fix the problem, especially by allocating too few resources to
programs that help people pay for increasingly expensive rents.
FAILING
SYSTEMS PUSH AFFORDABLE HOUSING FURTHER OUT OF REACH
In this context, people across the country, from every demographic group
and geography, are unable to find housing. But discriminatory
policies, stigma, and a lack of coordinated support services make it even harder for specific groups. People of
color; gender-expansive people; and people who are in the immigration
system, the child
welfare system, the
criminal-legal system, and the healthcare system face different but significant barriers to finding stable housing.
For example, people who have a criminal record often experience discrimination
when applying for a lease or a job. In a scarce affordable housing markets with
minimal social safety nets, any policies and practices that create additional
obstaclescan push people into homelessness.
In 2023 and 2024, the already-stretched homeless response system was
also responding to a new development. Large numbers
of new
arrivals, including many children, entered the United States, seeking economic
opportunity and often fleeing persecution and unsafe conditions in their home
countries. Underfunded housing and resettlement programs — together with
policies that prevent asylum seekers from being able to work for nearly a year
— forced many to turn to local homeless service providers for assistance. As a
result, homeless services systems became a part of a political
storm that too often pits vulnerable groups against one another. However,
experts on homelessness have long known that America has the resources and
know-how to end homelessness for all people, including recent arrivals.
These barriers to housing are reflected in the data. According to the
2024 PIT Count, the following was true about homelessness in America:
·More people in the United States were experiencing homelessness compared
with any year since 2007 (when data collection began) — a total of
771,480 people.
·Overall homelessness increased by 18 percent since the
previous year (2023).
·More people (118,376) did not have a home in 2024 than in
2023.
·The overwhelming majority (82 percent) of Continuums
of Care (CoCs) experienced increases in homelessness.
·First-time homelessness has also been on the rise (increasing 23
percent since 2019)1. Federal and state resources for people experiencing homelessness are
not keeping up with demand in most communities.
It is imperative to focus the most attention on the central issues that
drive the homelessness crisis: housing costs and low incomes. Research demonstrates the relationship between high housing costs and
homelessness. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office,when a CoC’s median rent increased $100, homelessness rose by 9 percent. From 2001–2023,median rents increased 23
percent (after adjusting for inflation) while renters’ median incomes rose
just 5 percent.
Rising housing costs and low incomes are causing more people to
experience homelessness for the first time2. While the PIT Count captures data from a point in time, the most
recent data collected over the course of a year — in 2022 —
indicated that approximately 682,612 people experiencing homelessness
and seeking shelter did so for the first time. Without solutions to address the
housing affordability crisis, it is likely that more people will continue to
experience housing insecurity and flow into homelessness systems.
MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE ARE ON THE BRINK OF HOMELESSNESS
If a household cannot find housing or afford to pay for it, they would
be described as housing insecure and at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Rising housing insecurity is reflected in the number of households spending
50 percent or more of their income on housing costs (referred to as severely
housing cost-burdened households) and the number of people who live in
overcrowded homes with friends, family, or acquaintances due to financial
reasons (referred to as doubled up individuals). These
indicators point to an underlying problem: people face systemic barriers to
finding a stable home.
SEVERE
HOUSING COST BURDEN IS COMMON.
Two out of three extremely low-income renter households live in poverty
and are severely housing cost-burdened (over 7.2 million households).
SEVERE
HOUSING COST BURDEN IS INCREASING.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of severely housing cost-burdened households
increased in more than half of states.
COST
BURDENS DO NOT IMPACT ALL GROUPS EQUALLY.
Black and Native American communities consistently face the most
significant challenges.
Current and
historic discrimination in federal housing programs, employment, education, and the
economy have made it more difficult for all groups of color to rent or own
housing. Large increases in rental costs impact these groups more.
MANY
PEOPLE LIVE DOUBLED UP OUT OF FINANCIAL NECESSITY.
In addition to those who are cost-burdened, nearly 3.2 million
people live doubled up. This is another indicator that a person may
be at risk of literal homelessness (i.e., living in shelters
or in unsheltered locations).
Nearly half of survey participants in the recent California Statewide Study of
People Experiencing Homelessness reported living in doubled up situations
before experiencing homelessness. Some contributed to the rent, while others
did not; but all doubled up arrangements were temporary and lacked the legal
protections that being a leaseholder could provide.
THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING DOUBLED UP IS INCREASING IN SOME PLACES.
In 21 states (including Texas, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii, and the
District of Columbia), the number of people living doubled up increased from
2022 to 2023. It is not always ideal to move in with friends or family:
multiple people may be crammed into small spaces, live with an abusive host, or
be put at risk of eviction if additional residents violate a host’s lease.
While some households may prefer to live together, the Alliance’s methodology to calculate doubled up homelessness only counts those people who
are likely doubling up due to financial necessity.
HOW DO
SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES RESPOND TO HOMELESSNESS?
Nationally, systems and communities are responding to increases in
homelessness by expanding their numbers of shelter beds, permanent
housing units, and services. However, it is not nearly enough to keep up
with demand. In 2024, no state had enough permanent housing for
everyone experiencing homelessness.
Rather than addressing those needs, some elected officials are fining,
jailing, and punishing people experiencing homelessness. This wastes taxpayer
dollars, and it makes it harder for providers to help people exit
homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) data for
2024 indicate:
INCREASES
IN SHELTER HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH DEMAND.
The homelessness response system added 60,143 shelter beds in
2024, but with over 600,000 people entering homelessness for the first time
each year, this is deeply inadequate.
In 61 percent of states and territories, growth in demand
outpaced growth in available beds, meaning that they had less capacity
to shelter people in 2024 than in 2023.
INCREASES
IN PERMANENT HOUSING HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH DEMAND.
In 2024, the homelessness response system added 17,877 permanent
housing units. Nearly 1.5 million people stayed in shelter over the
course of the year; increases at this continued scale will never end
homelessness.
For 46 percent of states and territories, growth in demand
outpaced increases in available housing placements: they had less permanent
housing capacity in 2024 than in 2023.
SHELTER
AND HOUSING ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE.
Not only are there too few permanent units and shelter beds, but the
beds that do exist may be far away from people’s jobs or social networks. Some
may also have rules that keep people from entering shelter, like not allowing
pets. New policies from the current administration could make these barriers even
more insurmountable and increase unsheltered homelessness.
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES ARE TARGETED TOWARD FAMILIES.
Most new shelter beds (78 percent) and permanent housing
units (53 percent) were for families with children. The housing needs
of the much larger population of individuals experiencing homelessness, many of
whom have a disabling condition, were significantly unmet.
While there have been reductions in their capacity to shelter and house
people, workers and leaders in the homelessness response system are serving
more people than ever before. On the night of the annual PIT
Count, more than 1.1 million people relied on the response system
for shelter or permanent housing.3
While the total number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness
increased, a greater of people experiencing
homelessness are sheltered. This indicates that when response workers are given
more resources, they use them to serve more people in need.
Still, given shortages in affordable housing, many of these workers are
overcoming tremendous challenges when they try to move people from sheltered or
unsheltered homelessness into permanent housing.
CURRENT
POLICY SHIFTS MAY EXACERBATE CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS
As described above, an ongoing affordable housing crisis and other
factors are causing millions of Americans to be homeless or on the brink of
homelessness, and homeless services systems are under-resourced to serve
everyone in need. It is within this context that the federal policy world has
begun a noticeable shift. In 2025, the Executive and Legislative branches took
steps to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, including
reducing investments in housing and other anti-poverty programs. Furthermore,
the President has urged other shifts in homelessness policy, including ending
the federal CoC program and upending
proven solutions to homelessness in favor of approaches that do not work. The
dangers are apparent:
·An estimated
218,000 people (often older adults, people with disabilities, and people with
health challenges) relied on the federal CoC program for housing and services
through Permanent
Supportive Housing (PSH) in 2024.
·More than 9 million
people who struggle to afford market-rate housing rely on federal rental
assistance.
·Rural and
suburban communities, including in many southern and midwestern states, disproportionately
rely on federal government resources to provide housing.
The current policy environment could cause untold numbers of housed
low-income people to lose their housing. Cutting resources for proven solutions
while increasing resources toward punitive approaches (like jailing people
experiencing homelessness) will make it especially difficult for people who use
substances and people with severe mental illness to stay housed and connect
with the care they need. Not all areas of the country would be impacted
equally, but states on both sides of the political aisle could be devastated.
The goal of ending homelessness may become further out of reach.
WHO
DOES HOMELESSNESS IMPACT?
Without enough affordable housing units, income support, and emergency
response resources to reach everyone in need, one medical bill, job loss, or
natural disaster can cause someone to experience homelessness. However, certain
groups are more likely to face challenges accessing the resources they
need to stay housed. Once homeless, many of these same groups also face
challenges accessing emergency resources. This section describes these
important demographic trends among people experiencing homelessness.
Many of the demographic trends outlined in this section were also
impacted by changes in immigration. The United States is a nation of
immigrants, with immigration rates fluctuating over time. At the time 2024 data
were published, these numbers temporarily increased as more new residents were
fleeing violence, persecution, economic displacement, and climate disaster to
seek refuge in the United States.
However, research indicates that the United States’ approach to engaging with new
arrivals is inadequate. Policies and regulations in the United States cause
asylum seekers to face unique challenges accessing housing. These may
include policies that
exclude them from the workforce; obstacles
acquiring the documentation that is necessary to access housing, nutrition
or health support; and language barriers. They may also face discrimination
from landlords and not fully understand their rights. In some instances, asylum
seekers were also intentionally
sent to communities where they did not know people, making it
impossible for them to rely on family or friends for support. Without robust
social networks to fall back on, the homeless
response system may be their only option. To meet the growing need for affordable
housing and homeless services across all communities, the response system needs
more resources.
Stark
racial and ethnic disparities in homelessness: people of color are
overrepresented.
Homelessness disproportionately impacts people of color. It is a racial
justice issue. Historical and contemporary discrimination and exclusion
from housing, education, employment, and wealth-building, and discriminatory
practices in the criminal-legal system make it harder for Black, Indigenous,
and people of color (BIPOC) to access financial resources and safe, stable
housing. Twentieth-century policies like redlining and legally sanctioned
segregation systematically excluded people from buying homes that could be
passed down to their children, as well as other housing opportunities. This
continues to have negative impacts today. For example, as noted below, people
of color are still less likely to be homeowners than White people.
Many groups of color are more likely than the overall population to be
severely rent-burdened, paying more than half of their incomes on rent. Renters
of color, and especially Black renters, experience higher eviction rates than
White renters. Research from the Eviction Lab and the U.S. Census Bureau show that more than
half of all eviction filings are against Black renters despite the group
representing only 18 percent of renters.
Additionally, the nation’s social safety net does not
distribute resources in ways that meaningfully address the impacts of systemic and
individual discrimination and exclusion. This is reflected in high, and
growing, rates of overall homelessness and unsheltered
homelessness among Black and Indigenous people in particular. Although it is
illegal to exclude a person from housing based on their race, data indicate that people of color face more harassment and
discrimination when searching for a place to live. To ensure that everyone has
an opportunity to access safe, stable housing, organizations and local
officials need funding to enforce existing protections against discrimination.
Communities of color also need targeted housing and economic support to address
the impacts of systemic and deliberate efforts to withhold resources from them.
Most subgroups experienced large increases in homelessness in the years
since the COVID-19 pandemic, but because of the reasons outlined above,
Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, Black and Native communities experienced the
largest increases. Groups already more likely to be severely
housing cost-burdened were impacted by rising rents and a slower jobs recovery
rate. It is also likely that more Latino, Black, and Asian new arrivals are
experiencing homelessness as a result of antiquated and failing immigration
systems. These factors exacerbate existing inequities among these racial
groups. Increasing resources for the homeless response system to better address
these disparities would help build local economies and create more abundant
communities for everyone.
Once homeless, some racial groups face greater challenges accessing
emergency resources. This leads to higher rates of unsheltered homelessness.
Even as unsheltered homelessness decreased between the 2023 and 2024 PIT
Counts, multi-racial and Indigenous people remained most likely to experience
unsheltered homelessness.
These trends are important. It is also important to acknowledge that
trends within these groups are less visible because government agencies tend to
use broad race categories. For example, there are big
differences in rates of housing insecurity within the umbrella term “Asian American.” Additionally, HUD added
the category “Middle Eastern or North African” to the PIT Count for the first
time in 2024. This may have impacted trends in other categories.
From
2023 to 2024, families with children experienced the largest year-over-year
increase in homelessness of any group.
During the decade leading up to 2023, many communities were driving
large decreases in homelessness among families because policymakers and
practitioners often prioritize them for resources. These reductions quickened
during the COVID-19 pandemic as investments in child care, healthcare, nutrition, and income programs for
families with children grew. This created more economic stability for
low-income families and lowered
childhood poverty rates significantly. However, the end of increased investments tied to
COVID-19 relief, coupled with a demand for affordable housing that greatly
exceeds existing supply, is contributing to reversals of this progress.
Individuals
remain the single largest group of people experiencing homelessness.
Individuals represent the largest subgroup of people experiencing
homelessness. Since 2017, as housing costs
rose and people faced greater challenges paying for rent, more
individuals entered into homelessness. They simply had fewer housing options.
Over the last couple of decades, the disappearance of Single Room
Occupancy (SRO) units has coincided with rapid growths in single-person households. The
lack of SROs impacts housing for people in various types of transitions,
including young adults leaving their homes or foster care, those exiting
relationships that involved co-habitating, people
exiting institutions (prisons, jails, rehabilitation programs), or recent
immigrants starting their lives in America. In 2024, 66 percent
(512,007) of people experiencing homelessness were individuals. Among
those living unsheltered, 93 percent were individuals.
Recurring
homelessness among disabled people, most of whom are individuals, continues to
rise in response to a shortage of accessible, affordable housing units.
People who have experienced homelessness for at least a year — or four
separate times in the past three years, totaling one year — while having a
disabling condition (such as a physical disability, chronic illness, or a
challenge with their behavioral health or substance use) are considered
chronically homeless.
·According to the 2024 PIT
Count, 61 percent of people experiencing chronic
homelessness were unsheltered.
·A large(37
percent) of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness lived in a
suburban or a rural area. These areas also experienced the largest increases in
chronic homelessness from 2023 to 2024 (12.7 percent and 21.6 percent
respectively).
Funding for deeply subsidized housing and services has not kept up with
this population’s needs. Disabled people are often at a disadvantage when
trying to access stable housing — they are paid subminimum
wages and benefits, excluded from economic and housing opportunities, and face a high risk of
eviction. Often, available housing does not meet their needs. As more people
needed assistance and elected officials failed to invest enough resources to
keep pace with this demand, people experiencing chronic homelessness increased
rapidly.
As this population increased, some lawmakers endorsed ineffective
approaches to chronic and unsheltered homelessness — like stigmatizing and
punishing people who use substances or have mental health conditions but
failed to enact real solutions. Abundant evidence demonstrates that
homelessness is caused by a shortage of affordable housing and services for
people in need. Punishing people experiencing homelessness only makes it more
difficult to house them and does not improve public health or public safety. In fact, these policies waste money that could be used to address deep
shortages in healthcare and affordable housing, as they further traumatize
individuals who are simply trying to survive.
On the other hand, the solutions to chronic homelessness are
clear. Permanent
housing, paired with wraparound voluntary services like healthcare, is most
successful at keeping this population stably housed. Data suggest Permanent
Supportive Housing (PSH) consistently keeps over 90 percent of its residents housed. It is likely that this also saves the public money. Because of how difficult it
is to live outside, people experiencing chronic homelessness come into contact
with costlier systems, including emergency rooms and jails, more frequently
than the overall population. These costs go down when lawmakers
invest in approaches grounded in the Housing First model, like PSH.
Despite PSH being well-supported
by evidence, proposals from the current administration seek to limit funding to programs
using the Housing First model. This will be worsened by the funding expiration
for Emergency
Housing Vouchers, an extraordinarily successful investment introduced in 2021 to more
rapidly connect vulnerable populations with housing. The United States
could end chronic homelessness with a greater investment in PSH and other
evidence-based strategies.
Children
experienced the largest increases in homelessness, but adults continue to be
more likely to experience it.
Key data points related to homelessness vary by age group:
·The number of children experiencing homelessness increased 33 percent between 2023
and 2024 — the highest annual increase across all age groups.
During the 2024 PIT
Count, 148,238 people experiencing homelessness were under the age
of 18.
·Among adults, 35 out of every 10,000 people aged 35–44
experienced homelessness during the 2024 PIT Count — the highest rate
of homelessness across all age groups.
·Adults over 45 years of age experienced higher rates of unsheltered
homelessness than their younger counterparts.
Youth (Under Age 25)
During the 2024 PIT Count, 205,878 people (or 27 percent of
all people who experienced homelessness) were under the age of 25. This is
a 29 percent increase since 2023. According to research by Chapin Hall, one out of every 10 people 18 to 25 years of age experience
homelessness at some point over the year.
Not all young people are equally impacted. While the total number
of unaccompanied
youth experiencing homelessness has increased 9 percent since
the 2019 PIT Count, the number who are gender-expansive increased 57 percent. Research also indicates that Latino, Black, Asian, and Multiracial youth
all experience homelessness at higher rates than youth overall.
Currently, less than 8 percent of children experience unsheltered
homelessness, which is the lowestamong all age groups. Programs that
target resources toward children and youth, including the federal Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and Runaway Homeless Youth Act, have been significantly successful in stabilizing the housing of youth
throughout the country. However, some youth still go without shelter and
recent federal-level
policy proposals threaten to reduce or eliminate their funding.
Parenting Youth
Of new concern is the fact that the number of parenting
youth experiencing homelessness also increased 28
percent since 2023, reversing a downward trend since HUD began reporting
data on parenting youth in 2015.
The
majority of people experiencing homelessness are men, but the number of women
experiencing homelessness is growing quickly.
·According to the 2024 PIT
Count, 60 percent of people experiencing homelessness were men.
·28 out of every 10,000 men experienced homelessness, a 15
percent increase from 2023.
·18 out of every 10,000 women experienced homelessness, a 19
percent increase from 2023.
Individual men make up the majority of people experiencing homelessness,
and men of color are overrepresented among individual men experiencing
homelessness. However, homelessness among women is increasing at a faster pace
than among men. Unsheltered
homelessness among both men and women decreased from 2023–2024, but men
remained more likely to be unsheltered. Responding to the increased housing
challenges among women addresses an emerging concern before it has an
opportunity to worsen. At the same time, focusing on men living on their own
(the largest subgroup within homelessness) would significantly reduce
homelessness.
HUD does not report data at the intersection of race and gender;
however, men and women of color face specific
challenges accessing safe and deeply affordable housing. Ensuring that people
of color, and especially individuals of color, have access to housing will be
an important step toward ensuring that everyone has the housing they need to
contribute to more prosperous communities.
Gender-expansive
people — people who identify as transgender, nonbinary, more than one gender,
gender questioning, or a culturally specific identity — face discrimination,
exclusion, and violence. Evidence suggests that these experiences push them
into homelessness at higher rates.
Since data reporting about this population began in 2015, gender-expansive
people have consistently experienced faster increases in homelessness and
higher rates of unsheltered
homelessness than cisgender people. Gender-expansive people face housing
discrimination, harassment,
violence, employment
discrimination, and barriers to accessing
social safety nets. This leads to a heightened risk of homelessness. While it is
likely that these systemic barriers have always caused high rates of
gender-expansive homelessness, data
collection is only beginning to capture the full impact that these barriers
have on housing security.
Since 2015, homelessness among gender-expansive people
increased 618 percent, compared with a 35 percent increase among
cisgender men and women. In part, these increases are attributable to HUD
adding new categories to the PIT
Count that do a better job capturing the gender-expansive community. However,
gender-expansive people are consistently overrepresented in the unsheltered
population, indicating that they also continue to face greater challenges
accessing shelter and permanent
housing. Among gender questioning people and people with a culturally specific
gender identity experiencing homelessness, 8 in 10 did not stay in
shelter. These trends emphasize that gender-expansive people experiencing
homelessness have not been reflected in policy and practice to the degree that is necessary to meet their needs.
Based on independent
analyses, it is also likely that gender-expansive people experience high rates
of homelessness relative to their population size. A 2022 national survey of transgender people found that 34 percent of respondents were currently
experiencing poverty, and 30 percent experienced
homelessness during their lifetime. These factors point to the
urgent need to create and expand policies that make services more accessible
and inclusive for gender-expansive households.
WHERE
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS LIVE AND WHY IT MATTERS
People experience homelessness in every part of the United States. Large
cities, small towns, wealthy communities, and under-resourced communities all
have residents who are struggling and need support. Still, we could greatly
accelerate progress toward ending homelessness in America by mobilizing
effective interventions targeting a few geographic categories. This includes:
STATES
WITH THE LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATIONS
In January 2024, 64 percent of people experiencing homelessness
lived in 7 states with significantly large urban areas: California, Illinois,
Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, and New York.
STATES
WITH THE FASTEST GROWING HOMELESS POPULATIONS
The fastest increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness
from 2023 to 2024 occurred in Colorado, West Virginia, Alabama, Hawaii,
Illinois, and New York.
NON-URBAN
AREAS STRUGGLING TO SERVE EVERYONE LIVING OUTSIDE
In January of 2024, 37 percent of people experiencing
homelessness in suburban areas and 45 percent of people experiencing
homelessness in (often geographically large) rural areas live unsheltered. When compared to urban areas, rural, and suburban communities tend to rely
on federal resources the most.
Thus, Congress holds a significant role in bringing everyone in
non-urban areas inside.
Targeting attention on key categories of communities is helpful. But
totally ending homelessness requires focusing on every community in America and
charting their progress toward housing everyone in need. Therefore, a national
strategy must incorporate the needs of all states and communities.
One way to understand these local needs is to examine the state
population counts. Population counts reveal that, in 2024, many states
experienced setbacks rooted in high housing costs, low-income growth, and weak
safety nets. With the end of pandemic assistance to households, rising
inflation, slower income growth, and an increase in natural
disasters, more people faced challenges staying housed. Even states that
had made progress reducing homelessness over the last decades saw increases in
their homeless populations between 2023 and 2024. But some states were able to
sustain progress.
A second way to understand every state’s progress toward ending
homelessness is to focus on experiences of homelessness per capita (i.e.,
comparing the size of the homeless and overall populations). High housing costs
and a weak safety net can cause a greater percentage of a state’s residents to
fall into homelessness. For example, states like California and Washington that
have high housing costs also have relatively high percentages of people
experiencing homelessness.
The
United States Can End Homelessness — Communities Need Sustained Investments
from Lawmakers
The homeless services sector provides shelter, housing and services to
people experiencing homelessness with incredible success. Despite having too few resources and being consistently underpaid, they continue to serve more than
a million people each year. Undoubtedly, without their work, far more people
would remain homeless for much longer periods of time.
Dramatic cuts to programs will make it harder for people to access the
support they need to stay housed. Efforts to fine, cite, arrest, and jail
people experiencing unsheltered
homelessness will waste
resources and temporarily hide, rather than permanently solve, the problem.
By allocating more state and federal investments to expand the crisis response
system, building and preserving affordable housing, and ensuring that people
have access to voluntary supportive services like healthcare, the United States
can end homelessness.
How do we know that ending homelessness is possible? At least two
pieces of evidence help answer that question.
First, the homelessness response system has a track record of success.
It reduced overall homelessness and unsheltered homelessness from 2010 to 2019.
It also ensured that homelessness did not spike during the
pandemic, despite large increases in financial hardship. This is because Congress
made large investments in Emergency Rental Assistance and income support.
Although there have been large increases in the number of people experiencing
homelessness in the past two years due to rising housing costs and inadequate
incomes, past results suggest that investments can reduce homelessness.
Investment levels have simply never been enough to completely end the need for
a homelessness response.
A second source of evidence for the United States’ ability to end
homelessness is the “Ending
Veteran Homelessness Initiative.” In 2009, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) collaborated
with HUD to implement specific services for veterans experiencing homelessness.
During this initiative, a federal
evaluation found that veteran homelessness decreased 55
percent (compared to the 8 percent decrease among the overall
population) from 2009 to 2022. To achieve this significant reduction, the VA
and HUD:
STRATEGIZED
The strategy development team learned from existing research,
implementing the Housing First approach (providing immediate access to permanent
housing plus voluntary services).
INVESTED
The VA partnered with HUD to expand the number of Emergency Housing Vouchers
and temporary shelter beds available to veterans.
COORDINATED
The VA coordinated services across the areas of housing, health, and education. Critically, VA
expanded their existing healthcare programs and connected more veterans with
more robust services.
ANALYZED
The VA analyzed real-time data and used it to change and adapt services
to meet their clients’ needs.
The Housing First approach also saved taxpayers money. A VA analysis found that robust housing plus services was significantly
less expensive than various costs associated with being unhoused
(including for emergency healthcare, criminal legal system costs, and other
social services).
From 2022 to 2023, the resources to support this approach did not keep
up with increases in veteran homelessness. Lawmakers noticed and responded with
a small increase in the number of housing vouchers available to veterans in
2024. Lawmakers can sustain and expand these increases to fully meet the needs
of veterans. They should also offer similar housing and services to the rest of
the population experiencing homelessness. People need affordable housing and
services to stay housed and contribute to their communities.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approach demonstrates
that when it is sustainably funded to meet communities’ needs, the
homelessness response system can rehouse people experiencing homelessness and
help to keep them housed. Lawmakers need to learn from this success and
ensure that the response system has the resources required to serve everyone
currently experiencing homelessness. Like the VA, they also need to reduce the
number of people becoming homeless and make it easier for the response system
to rehouse people more quickly. They can do this by expanding deeply affordable
housing development, preserving the affordability of existing housing, and
expanding rental assistance and other safety net programs, like income support
and affordable healthcare programs.
The VA was successful because it provided deeply affordable permanent
housing, accessible temporary shelter, rental assistance, and programs that
provide wraparound services with the funds they require to make these
life-saving resources universally available to people in need. Keeping people
housed, quickly rehousing people when homelessness does occur, and targeting
programs to those communities and populations who are most at risk of
homelessness can help to promote more prosperous communities for everyone.
ENDNOTES
1.Department of Housing and Urban Development, “CoC System Performance Measures” (Accessed May 2025). People experiencing homelessness for
the first time have either never been homeless or have not experienced
homelessness for 2 or more years at the time of their most recent experience of
homelessness. ↩︎
2.People experiencing homelessness for the first time have
either never been homeless or have not experienced homelessness for 2 or more
years at the time of their most recent experience of homelessness. ↩︎
3.People who formerly experienced homelessness but are now living in
permanent housing provided by the homeless response system are not considered
homeless but they are receiving services from the homeless response system.
This number is therefore higher than the PIT Count of people sleeping
unsheltered or in a shelter. ↩︎
Former
NFL player found dead at homeless camp, death ruled
homicide
by WKRC/KABC/CNN NewsourceSat, January 24, 2026 at 6:38 PM
LOS ANGELES (WKRC/KABC/CNN Newsource)
- Former NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson was found dead Wednesday morning
at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles, and authorities said his death has
been ruled a homicide.
Police said officers responding to a report of an
unconscious man discovered the 55-year-old with stab wounds and blunt force
trauma to the head. The Los Angeles County medical examiner later determined
Johnson was killed.
Investigators believe Johnson had been living at the
encampment, according to friends who said health issues later in life
contributed to his housing instability. No arrests have been announced, and the
investigation remains ongoing.
Johnson, a Los Angeles native, played in the NFL
during the late 1990s, spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the
Oakland Raiders.
ATTACHMENT EIGHT –FROM KATU (Portland, OR)
372
people facing homelessness in Multnomah Co. died in 2024; decrease from
previous year
Fri, December 19, 2025 at 10:52 AMUpdated Fri, December 19, 2025 at 2:15 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Multnomah County said 372
people facing homelessness died through 2024, marking an 18% decrease from a
record high in its previous Domicile Unknown report for 2023.
The annual report is in partnership with the state
and county medical examiner offices and Street Roots, a weekly publication
covering homeless issues.
The 2024 Domicile Unknown report marks the first year-over-year decrease since
2013, and is the largest reduction in deaths of people in the homeless
community since the county started tracking this data in 2011.
You can watch the county’s announcement of the 2024
Domicile Unknown report below:
The previous report for 2023 saw 456 deaths of people
experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County, which was a record high. That
jump in deaths was attributed to the increase in fentanyl use and was a stark
statistic of the opioid crisis facing the Portland metro area.
Overdose deaths continued to lead the causes of fatalities
on Multnomah County streets in 2024, with 183 of them specifically linked to
fentanyl. Those deaths fell into the unintentional injury category.
“Each year this report provides a stark reminder that
there remain far too many tragedies occurring on our streets, especially as
fentanyl continues to devastate our community,” said Multnomah County Chair
Jessica Vega Pederson. “My heart goes out to the family and friends of those we
lost too soon.”
There were 19 people who died in traffic-related
crashes, the second highest cause of accidental death. There were 18 people
killed by someone else, and 13 people died by suicide.
"While drug overdoses, traffic injuries and
homicides were major factors, people experiencing homelessness also died of
chronic disease, such as cancer and heart disease, and respiratory diseases,
including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, influenza and pneumonia,"
Multnomah County officials said. "The report, however, tracked no COVID-19
deaths in 2024."
Of the people who died while experiencing
homelessness, 301 (or 81%) were men and 71 (19%) were women.
The average age was 48 years old, which the medical
examiner's office says is 30 years younger than the average expected lifespan
of someone living in the county.
Community-based organizations and the county are
holding a Homeless Day of Remembrance on from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, December 21
at St. Andre Bessette on West Burnside Street. The event will honor and
remember the people whose lives were "cut short due to homelessness,"
the county said.
READ THE COMMENTS (40)
"Housing and shelter — as well as the myriad other
social, economic and environmental factors that underlie the causes of excess deaths
among people experiencing homelessness — must continue to be considered when
developing policies that can save lives and prevent premature death"
Multnomah County leaders said.
·itsallgoodman
19
December, 2025
How are overdose deaths in the unintentional injury
category? Especially when they "lead the causes of fatalities on Multnomah
County streets in 2024, with 183 of them specifically linked to fentanyl."
Shouldn't "overdose deaths" have their own category when fentanyl
alone accounts for 49% of death...
See more
Reply
25
1
Share
ogameshowchmp
19
December, 2025
That would make sense. We certainly can't
have that!
Reply
15
2
Share
1 reply
·greywolf1
19
December, 2025
372 people facing homelessness in Multnomah
Co. died in 2024 and all the politicians are more worried (concerned) about
illegals. Enough said!
Reply
32
Share
·coleslawder
19
December, 2025
These numbers are cooked!
Only 4 deaths due to mental and
behavioral disorders due to substance abuse.
245 due to unintentional injury
only 13 to intentional self
harm
I think drugs play a much larger role in the
deaths than these numbers show.
Reply
21
3
Share
1 reply
·StopwatchingMSM
19
December, 2025
Sad and tragic. The headline and leading
paragraphs should emphasize drug death earlier in the article. “Does anyone
believe we have a drug problem? Source, who denies the Biden open borders? Who
denies China provides precursors to cartels? Which political party supported
China, open borders and drugs?” asked
See more
Reply
21
2
Share
1 reply
·UrbanRot
19
December, 2025
There was still a big net gain in homeless,
so...
Reply
20
Share
1 reply
·zone8
19
December, 2025
ya, sure, the
city totally have the metrics to say this. not buying
Reply
12
Share
·Retportfire
20
December, 2025
There’s no reason to expect these numbers to be accurate
The County can’t even fill a pothole, we’re supposed
to believe the M.E.s office runs any better?
Street Roots has no business being involved in any official tally.
There are far too many reasons to monkey with the numbers either
up or down.
The ...
See more
Reply
4
Share
1 reply
·Dingle
19
December, 2025
Why is their a
Cartel presence in Oregon? Why? Why does it seem to me that the big busts are
Federal? Where’s the local LE?
Reply
9
1
Share
oalphanumetric
19
December, 2025
Oregon is
a sanctuary jurisdiction. Many/most cartel busts would prosecute undocumented
aliens. Local law enforcement can't touch those people because of the sanctuary
city laws. It's very bad. Sanctuary city laws need to be repealed and fast.
Cartels are basically protected citizens here.
Reply
14
1
Share
2
replies
·PM1967
19
December, 2025
Yes, in every single democratic run city and state
illegal aliens are more important than the homeless.
ATTACHMENT NINE –FROM FOX DETROIT
DETROIT MAYOR WANTS REVIEW OF HOMELESS OUTREACH STRATEGY AFTER KIDS
FREEZE TO DEATH
By Jack
NissenPublished February 11, 2025 11:29am EST
The
cousin of the mother of two children who died from suspected hypothermia told
FOX 2 she had made an effort to contact the city to get shelter but never got
any help.
The Brief
·
·The Detroit mayor has tasked
his deputy mayor and the director of the Housing and Revitalization Department
with reviewing the agency's homeless outreach services
·Two children died from apparent
hypothermia while sleeping in a van that was parked overnight at a casino in
Detroit
·Police say the van stopped
working sometime during the night, leading to the family of seven living in
dangerously cold temperatures
The Detroit mayor
has tasked his deputy and the housing department director with a complete
review of the city's homeless outreach strategy after two kids died from
apparent hypothermia on Monday.
The kids, ages 2 and
9 years old, were staying in a van with their family in the parking structure
of a Detroit casino. According to the mayor, there were family shelter beds
available a few miles away from the casino where the family could have stayed.
The Detroit mayor
Mike Duggan is looking for a complete review of how the city coordinates its
homeless services and ensures anyone struggling with a lack of shelter can get
an available bed.
Over the next 14
days, deputy mayor Melia Howard and Housing & Revitalization Department
director Julie Schneider will gather information on both the delivery of
services and coordination of connecting unhoused people with those
resources.
The mayor said the
city will "dramatically expand" its outreach visits to sites where
homeless families are living.
"We have to put
eyes on these families experiencing homelessness with
our professional outreach workers. We have to get them physically there and get
an immediate, response," said Duggan.
After
two kids died from apparent hypothermia following a frigid night inside a van
at a casino in Detroit, Mike Duggan has asked the deputy mayor to return in 14
days with complete review of why the family never accessed housing services.
The mayor called the
deaths of two kids a "terrible day in Detroit" that was made all the
more tragic because shelter and available beds were open and available just a
few miles from where the family was staying.
"It brings home
the point that having services available doesn't mean much if residents that
need them don't know how to access them," said Duggan.
Previously, the city
had contact with the family amid struggles to secure stable housing.
On Tuesday, the
mayor confirmed the city had last been in contact with family in November when
they reached out, concerned they would soon not have a place to live.
Duggan said "no
resolution was reached" to secure them a place to live at that time, and
they never had any further contact with the family.
Detroit recently
expanded its available shelters by adding 400 available beds for those in need
of a place to stay overnight. Another drop-in center was
opened that included 100 more beds.
What we don't know:
Police told FOX 2
the vehicle had run out of gas sometime after the van had parked at the casino,
but it's unclear when.
The family's mother
also told police they were homeless - however, it's
unclear what circumstances led to their living status or how long the family
had been without shelter.
Police did confirm a
criminal investigation "has to" happen due to the tragic outcome.
Whether any charges come from the case is uncertain.
Local perspective:
City officials
are doubling efforts to ensure families know about available resources for
those struggling with homelessness.
Among the services
that families can use include warming centers that are open throughout the day.
There is also the Detroit Housing Network, which acts as a hotline that can
connect people to resources.
In addition to
calling 911, there are also nonprofits that offer their own respite from the
extreme weather.
The hotline is
available during the day until 6 p.m. at 866-313-2520. If someone needs help
after hours, the mayor is asking them to call the local police precinct for
help.
ATTACHMENT TEN –FROM DETROIT NEWS
FAMILY OF KIDS WHO FROZE TO DEATH REACHED OUT AT LEAST
THREE TIMES TO DETROIT'S HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM
By
Julia CardiUpdated Feb. 11, 2025, 7:01
p.m. ET
A
family facing homelessness reached out at least three times to Detroit's
homeless response team, including as recently as late November, before two
children froze to death in a van in a casino parking structure on Monday.
A
day later, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called for a review of city services for
homelessness, the city's homeless call center and ways to make services more
accessible after the children's deaths. They were ages two and nine.
"We
have to make sure that we do everything possible to make sure that this doesn't
happen again," Duggan said during a press conference Tuesday at Detroit
police headquarters. "I'm not trying to talk about an individual employee.
I'm talking about the system as a whole. Are we doing everything to make sure
people in the city know how to access this critical care?"
Duggan
said a preliminary review of city records shows the mother of five reached out
at least three times, the last time being Nov. 25, 2024. The family said they'd
been living with relatives but were told they'd need to find another place and
would need somewhere to go.
"In
the course of that conversation, there was no resolution reached on where they
would go," Duggan said.
The
mayor said what made Monday's tragedy even worse was that there was shelter
space available for families that evening just a few miles from the Hollywood
Casino parking structure in Greektown.
"It
brings home the point that having services available doesn't mean very much if
the residents who need them don't know how to access them," Duggan said.
Interim
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said a preliminary investigation shows the
mom and her kids had been living out of her van for two to three months and
staying in various casino parking lots. She allegedly parked in the Greektown
structure around 1 a.m. Monday, parking on the ninth floor. At some point, her
van ran out of gas or had a mechanical failure, Bettison said.
Bettison
also said the mother and children would sometimes use the casino restrooms and
had parked in other casino parking lots in the city.
"They
moved around from various casino parking lots," the interim police chief
said.
An
autopsy hasn't been completed yet, but authorities believe the two children
died of hypothermia. The mother noticed one of the children, the nine-year-old,
wasn't breathing around noon on Monday and called a friend, who drove the child
to Children's Hospital. The two-year-old also was later found not breathing.
Both were later pronounced dead.
Bettison
said the city received a 911 call from the mom around 12:12 p.m. Monday.
City
officials on Tuesday urged those facing homelessness to seek services, but
Duggan acknowledged that some don't always seek help. The mayor said he wants
to create a policy that would require outreach workers to make in-person visits
to families with children dealing with homelessness.
"We
have got to do a better job of educating people that the service is there,"
Duggan said.
Bettison
said no one is in police custody, but the mother and a grandmother have been
questioned by police. He said the investigation is ongoing, and the department
will present its findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, but he
wouldn't confirm a criminal investigation is being pursued.
Three
other children who were also in the van were evaluated at the hospital and are
now staying with relatives, Bettison said. The children ranged in age from two
to 13.
Mom
sought help
According
to Duggan, aside from reaching out last fall to the city's homeless response
team, the mother involved in Monday's tragedy had also reached out earlier in
the summer and back into the previous year.
The
mayor said the city has outreach workers — two employed by Detroit and 32 from
six other funded providers, including Cass Community Social Services and
Neighborhood Services Organization — to help in emergency situations for those
facing homelessness. But the housing situation of the mother and her five kids
wasn't deemed an emergency.
"If
it’s an emergency situation, we send out one of these outreach workers because
when you’re on the phone, you have people with complicated problems, sometimes
it’s hard to figure exactly what the circumstances are," Duggan said.
"When a homeless outreach worker goes and lays eyes on the family and sees
what’s going on, they know exactly what to do. For whatever reason, this wasn’t
deemed an emergency that caused an outreach worker to visit the family."
Duggan
said three weeks after the mom's late November call, the city opened a drop-in
center on Dec. 16 for families in need of housing or a shelter.
"We
were opening it to be ahead of the worst temperatures of the winter," he
said. "At least as far as we’ve been able to determine so far, the family
never called back for service. And as far as we’ve been able to tell, our
homeless staff never proactively reached out to say, ‘What happened with your
situation? Was it resolved?’ Or to indicate there might be room available."
To
above:
When
asked if other relatives knew the mother was living in her car with her kids,
Bettison said he didn't want to speculate. But from what he was told, he said
she had "a lot of pride."
"She
loved her kids, and she wanted to keep the family together," Bettison
said.
Duggan
said he's asked Deputy Mayor Melia Howard and Julie Schneider, director of the
city's housing and revitalization department, to come back in two weeks and go
over the city's responses to the family involved.
Services
available
Detroit
has a Housing Resource HelpLine at (866) 313-2520,
but it only operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on
Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Calls
to that helpline Monday evening were answered with a recorded message
indicating the office was closed for the Fourth of July holiday and would
reopen July 5. Another call to the same hotline around 1 a.m. Tuesday indicated
it was a homelessness hotline, but no one was available.
Duggan
said he's heard times that people have called the HelpLine
and "they came away confused." He said the hotline's hours have been
extended occasionally during extreme weather, which they may do regularly.
"I
want to make sure that when people call they get very
clear options when that phone call is made," Duggan said. "And I'm
asking them to put a policy in place that any time minors are involved,
experiencing homelessness, that our outreach workers automatically do a site
visit."
For
those who need help after 6 p.m., Duggan encouraged people to go to their
closest police precinct but the poor hate and fear police@. He said officers
work "hand in hand" with the city's homeless prevention team.
Detroit's
shelters
Detroit
has roughly 18 homeless shelters and warming centers, but not all of them
accept families and children.
Chad
Audi, the CEO of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, said unequivocally the
children's deaths should have been prevented. Though he was careful not to
point a finger in any one direction, he said Detroit's system failed the
family.
"Somebody
asked for help. You did not give her the support, and now the result of it is
you (lost) two innocent lives. That's not acceptable," Audi said.
ATTACHMENT ELEVEN – FROM THE BEND (OR) BULLETIN
‘THE LIST KEEPS GROWING’: LONGEST NIGHT
VIGILS HONOR THOSE WHO DIED HOMELESS
By DAVID DUDLEY Published 9:00 am Sunday,
December 14, 2025
Homelessness is a death sentence for
thousands of Americans each year.To
memorialize those who died, the Longest Night vigils are held annually on Dec.
21, the winter solstice. Also known as Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, the
vigils offer family, friends and service providers space to share their
memories of those who lost the battle to survive.
“When
someone you love is homeless, you’re always on edge,” said Wendy Brown, a
63-year-old nurse who lives in Keene, New Hampshire. Brown’s older sister, Beth
Beauregard, was homeless in Bend and Redmond for more than a decade before a
heart attack took her life on Oct. 25. She was 64.
“I
spent 10 years living in fear, bracing for that moment,” Brown said.That fear isn’t the result of needless
worrying; it’s grounded in data. A 2024 Health Affairs study of more than
22,000 homeless people across 10 states and Washington, D.C., found that
unhoused people have a life expectancy of 43 to 45 years.
Overdose, heart conditions, diabetes, traffic
and other accidents are the leading causes of death.The Oregon Health Authority began counting
deaths among homeless people, who are classified as “domicile unknown,” in 2022
after the passage of Senate Bill 850. Between 540 and 647 died each year
through 2024. The count for 2025 is 386 through September.The most effective way to prevent unnecessary
deaths, the authors of the Health Affairs study concluded, is to protect people
from becoming homeless in the first place.
‘SO THEIR DEATHS
DON’T PASS IN OBSCURITY’
One candle is lit for each person who died.
Last year, 18 candles burned at the Redmond vigil. The dead are identified by
their first names or nicknames to protect their privacy. Every one of them has
a story.
“Each year, the list grows,” said Michael
Hancock, executive director of Bethlehem Inn. “We honor those who died, but
we’re also pointing to the people who are still alive, still struggling. They
need help now, so they don’t end up on the list.”
Hancock has helped organize the vigils in
Redmond for the past three years. He said that anyone interested in gaining a
better understanding of the struggles faced by homeless people should
attend.“The people we serve are facing
significant challenges, and they’re often alone,” said Hancock.
Rev. Ken Cardwell, coordinator at Jericho
Table and ordained minister at Community of Christ Church, has offered prayers
and stories during previous vigils in Redmond. He’s officiated weddings and
funerals for homeless people, and he’s spent years doing outreach in the desert
and the streets.“These are people who
are largely unseen,” Cardwell said. “This is one way to honor their lives, so
their deaths don’t pass in obscurity.”
Cardwell recalled delivering propane and
water to a man named “Steve.” It was below freezing. Steve was in his tent, in
his sleeping bag, struggling to stay warm.“The next day, I learned that he went out of his tent and fell,”
Cardwell said. “He hit his head and passed out. He was eventually taken to the
hospital, where he lost two toes due to frostbite. He died of a heart attack a
couple of years after that.”
Hancock shared the story of “Joseph,” a man he
worked with for years who struggled with homelessness and addiction.After Joseph died violently in an encampment,
Hancock met his adult daughters. They told Hancock that their dad was a talented
musician before he suffered a debilitating injury and got hooked on
painkillers.“I’d seen glimpses of that
person—the loving father, the talented musician—before the struggle,” Hancock
said. “It’s important to remember who these people were before the trials and
tribulations. These vigils give people space to share those stories with the
community.”
BEFORE AND AFTER
Brown said her sister, Beth Beauregard,
dreamed of becoming an artist when they were young.“She could draw and paint,” Brown said. “She
was just 8 years old when she won a contest that was advertised in T.V. Guide.
The organizers came to our house. They wanted to send her to art school.”
Beauregard was a free spirit, but she changed
after an auto accident claimed the life of her 14-month-old son.“She was a different woman after that,” Brown
said. “She divorced her husband, then traveled to Oregon with a man who lived
in his camper.”Brown knew that
Beauregard and her new companion didn’t have a residence, but she couldn’t do much
about it.
Beauregard and her companion parked their
camper in various spots between Bend and Redmond. A nurse and a volunteer EMT,
Brown worried constantly about her sister, who battled diabetes but refused to
take her medicine.“She did things her way,
there was no other way,” Brown said. “She wanted to go the holistic route … it
wasn’t working.”Brown begged her sister
to come home, but Beauregard refused to let her sister help.
“Being in New Hampshire was too painful,”
said Brown. “In Oregon, she could avoid dealing with the pain of losing her
son.”
Brown didn’t give up. She paid for Beauregard
to stay in a Redmond hotel during the winter of 2021, when temperatures plunged
below freezing each night for months on end.But Beauregard’s problems mounted. Her foot was amputated due to complications
from diabetes, then her leg. After parting ways with her companion, Beauregard
sought shelter at Bethlehem Inn, where she lived for the final two years of her
life.
That’s where she met Hancock.“Losing her leg was hard for her,” Hancock
said. “She struggled because she couldn’t do the things she used to do, the things others could still do.”Brown asked Beauregard to come home again,
but she declined.“Beth would always
say, ‘God will take care of me,'” Brown said. “To this day, I struggle to wrap
my head around it. I don’t understand why she would choose to be homeless
instead of coming home.”
It’s hard to say specifically why Beauregard
refused to let Brown help. Studies suggest that a strong desire for
independence, fear of judgment, shame and mental health conditions like
anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder often prevent homeless
people from accepting help from family, friends and service providers.
ONE CANDLE
Brown was at a cheerleading meet in October
with Beauregard’s 9-year-old granddaughter, whom Brown had adopted, when the
call came.A doctor told Brown that
Beauregard had a heart attack.“She
couldn’t maintain her blood pressure, which usually means the end is near,”
Brown said, drawing quick breaths.“I
knew she didn’t want to live on a ventilator, so I told the doctor to bring in
the priest,” Brown added after a pause. “It was the hardest decision I’ve ever
made.”
One candle will burn this year for Beauregard
beginning at 8a.m. on Dec. 21 at the Longest Night vigil at Bethlehem Inn’s
Redmond shelter, situated at 517 NW Birch Ave.There will be another vigil at 5p.m. at Drake Park in Bend.
Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions
(realstoriesrealsolutions.org) is a journalism lab funded by Central Oregon
Health Council under FORJournalism
(forjournalism.org), an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to supporting journalism
statewide. Sign up for weekly newsletters to receive updates
‘WINTER DOES NOT ARRIVE GENTLY’: REMEMBERING
CLEVELAND’S HOMELESS RESIDENTS WHO DIED THIS YEAR
Along with
memorials, the vigil included calls to action amid worries of impending changes
to federal policy that could harm Cuyahoga County’s permanent housing programs
for the homeless.
by Frank
W. Lewis and Michael IndrioloDecember 23, 2025
As he led those gathered for the Homeless Memorial in prayer, Rev. E.
Regis Bunch called the need for the annual event an indictment of the “apathy
that allows our folks to freeze in the shadow of luxury developments.”
“We refuse to accept the lie that poverty is an accident or that
homelessness is a force of nature,” Bunch said Monday afternoon.
He also had a call to action, asking if everyone in the packed meeting
room had picked up one of the handouts that
described looming cuts to federal funding for housing programs on one side and
the phone numbers of Ohio’s U.S. senators on the other.
“Power concedes nothing without a demand,” Bunch said.
The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) has organized the memorial since the
1980s, always around the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The
focus is on reading aloud the names of Greater Clevelanders who died that year
while experiencing homelessness. There were about 170 names on the list on
Monday, and some in attendance called out the names of others.
“And I am scared to death that there’s going to be a lot more names next
year,” said Anita Cook, president of the NEOCH board.
She referred to the expected changes in requirements and priorities in
federal funding for services for homelessness. In November the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development announced plans to shift funds away from
permanent housing and toward short-term programs. Ten thousand households in
Ohio, and 3,600 in Cuyahoga County, could be affected, according to NEOCH.
HUD postponed the changes amid legal challenges, so it’s not clear if
they’ll take effect in 2026.
Chris Knestrick, executive director of NEOCH, called
the annual memorial “a tough day in our community, but a very important day.”
“For people without a safe place to sleep, winter does not arrive
gently,” he said. “It exposes a truth that is deeply painful, that in our
community, people have died not because of inevitability, but because of the
violence of poverty, because housing is treated as a commodity instead of a
human right.”
He urged everyone to call Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon
Husted to ask them to advocate for maintaining current funding levels for
at least another year.
“Long-standing, successful programs are being destroyed,” Knestrick said, “not because the work has failed, but
because people in Washington do not value life.”
ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN – FROM SUPERTALK (MS)
HOMELESS MAN FOUND DEAD IN JACKSON AFTER OVERNIGHT
FREEZE
By
Jill Sanchez December 15, 2025
A
homeless man was found dead in Jackson on Monday morning following an overnight
freeze, according to Hinds County coroner Jeramiah Howard.
Howard
said the man’s body was discovered around 7:20 a.m. curled in the doorway of a
building in the 900 block of South State Street. The man’s name has not been
released.
Howard
added that officers with the Capitol Police Department checked on the man
during the night, but he refused to go to a shelter.
Heading
into the cold snap that moved in Sunday evening, the City of Jackson announced
winter weather shelter operations for residents experiencing homelessness. City
officials specifically pointed to Stewpot’s Opportunity Center Day Shelter,
which is continuing to offer extended hours until warmer weather moves in on
Tuesday.
The
Opportunity Center, located at 845 West Amite Street, will open again on Monday
at 5 p.m., offering guests a hot meal, showers, and indoor space to rest
through the night. Individuals in need of shelter can arrive anytime between 5
p.m. and 7 p.m. No appointment or prior registration is needed. The Opportunity
Center can be contacted at (601) 353-2759.
Other shelter
options
oThe Salvation
Army: 110 Presto Lane; men and women 18 and older; (601) 982-2441
oBilly Brumfield
House: 1244 South Gallatin Street; men only; (601) 948-3540
oMatt’s
House: 355 Livingston Street; women and children only; (601) 948-2873
oShower
Power: 836 South Commerce Street; (601) 941-2786 or (769) 610-6296
oGateway Rescue
Mission: 328 South Gallatin Street; men only; (601) 353-5864
ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN – FROM PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
AFTER FREEZING TEMPS, WOMAN FOUND DEAD AT PACE AND
FAIRFIELD
This
story has been updated. The Escambia Sheriff’s Office now says the person who
died at Pace Blvd. and Fairfield Dr. was a woman and not a man and the cause of
death is pending further testing.
The death
of a woman who appears to have been homeless is under investigation
by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, although there are no signs of foul
play.
A
sheriff’s office spokesperson said they got a call around 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 15
that a woman at the corner of Fairfield Drive and Pace Boulevard had died.
Deputies
responded and determined the woman appeared to be experiencing homelessness.
They say her death is not suspicious, but they don't know if the cold played a
role.
They
say she was covered in blankets and jackets and it's possible she died while
sleeping on the sidewalk.
The
medical examiner’s office will now determine her cause of death.
Overnight
freezing temperatures dipped dangerously low
into the upper 20s.
In
January of this year, a homeless person died after a night in
which temperatures dipped as low as 31 degrees.He was found near Loaves and Fishes Soup
Kitchen.
During
cold weather events, when temperatures drop below 40 degrees, Waterfront Mission suspends
all overnight fees and breathalyzer requirements.
The
Mission says 182 people stayed overnight from Sunday to Monday to escape the
cold.
The
Mission remains open 24 hours a day as a warming center when the temperature
stays under 40 degrees. Overnight capacity is also expanded, including
additional cots if needed.
If
people do not have transportation, community partners like ECAT may provide
free transportation to the Mission.
This
is a developing story. Check back on pnj.com for
details.
ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN – FROM CANTON REPOSITORY
TRAGEDY IN ALLIANCE: 'WE CANNOT LET HUMAN BEINGS
FREEZE TO DEATH IN OUR CITY.'
By Benjamin DuerUpdated
Jan. 9, 2026, 3:53 p.m. ET
ALLIANCE
‒ To
those who didn't know Justin Ward, he is a homeless man who was found Jan. 5
frozen to death in the bitter cold.
To
his family and friends, the 32-year-old Alliance man was a treasured, tortured
soul whose life was more important than the way it ended.
He
was a son, a brother, and a father. He was a loyal friend.
"Justin
Ward is a great man," said Savannah Books, a friend. "He was loved by
many. He had a big impact on a lot of people, including me and my fiance. He always made sure everybody was taken care of,
including his kid."
Dean's Funeral Home in
Sebring is handling the arrangements, donating the cost for cremation.
Ward's
cousin, Sabrina Betz, established a GoFundMe account to
help with other funeral expenses. It had raised $1,700 by 3 p.m. Jan. 7.
Police
said Ward's body was found in a tent on Rush Street near PTC Metal Inc. after
no one had heard from him in days. Betz said she and other relatives searched
for him, on foot, and she said they found him.
"But
it was too late," Betz said.
His
death remains under investigation. The exact cause remains unknown, pending
test results.
BETZ:
'HE LOVED HIS FAMILY DEEPLY AND DEARLY.'
Family
members and friends described Ward as smart and stubborn, but always loving at
heart.
He
loved to work on cars and bikes, to fish and enjoyed outdoor activities. He was
the life of any party. He became a father in 2025, welcoming a baby boy named
Carter. "He loved his son deeply," Betz said.
She
added: "He loved his family deeply and dearly."
Ward,
who was a diabetic, battled a drug addiction that led him to the streets,
despite family and friends. Betz said her cousin struggled to get the medical
care he needed.
"He
just didn't know where to go for help," Betz said in an email.
She
also said her cousin was "a man full of pride" who fought his battles
in private, and he didn't want to bother family and friends with them.
"Many friends and many family members wanted to help," Betz said.
Betz
said she doesn't know why her cousin was homeless, but she said, "he must
have felt bad that he got so bad he might not have wanted the people he loved
to see him like that."
Ward
leaves behind his son, mother, a brother, three sisters, stepmother and
stepbrother, and several cousins. His father, Charles H. Ward, died in 2022 at
age 51.
"Justin
has taught me so many things. He taught me how to change brakes," his
friend Books recalled.
Betz
added: "What I will remember the most is him always being there for me and
my kids. Any time my car had a problem he would be the first one to fix it
because he didn't want me to go to anybody else and get messed up work done. He
wanted me to be safe."
CLOTHED
IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, ON THE HOMELESS: 'THEIR LIVES ARE JUST AS VALUABLE,
REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.'
Ward's
death has brought the homeless crisis in Alliance back into focus, with people
on Facebook calling for more solutions and trying to organize donations.
Brandi
Douthitt, an Alliance resident, didn't hold back her
outrage over his death, while she addressed City Council members and other city
officials at a Jan. 5 meeting.
Douthitt
said homelessness should not be a political issue but a human one, and she
criticized unnamed groups for "refusing to work together" to create a
solution. She blamed egos.
"There
are solutions and we've got to find one. We cannot let human beings freeze to
death in our city and walk around and say, 'we're doing a good job,'" Douthitt said.
Mayor
Andy Grove hadn't heard about Ward's death until Douthitt
spoke that night, but he called it a tragedy. "We certainly don't want
that," Grove said Jan. 5.
But
the city's leaders have largely left the responsibility of caring for its
homeless population to a few nonprofits and ministries, except to share
information on warming shelters.
Grove
said SARTA also offers free rides to two overnight centers in Canton.
"The
person needs to simply tell the driver that they need to get to either St. Paul
AME Church or Crossroads United Methodist Church," Grove said in an email.
One
of the ministries, Clothed in Righteousness, has become a regular stop for the
city's homeless who need meals, clothes and other items. It was founded by Eva
and Mike Slagle. It served served 5,300 people in
2025, versus 4,400 in 2024.
Ward
had become a regular at Clothed in Righteousness on Mondays and Thursdays, for
hot meals and some supplies, Eva Slagle said.
He
was last seen there the week of New Year's Day.
Following
Ward's death, the ministry posted this statement about the homeless situation
in Alliance on its Facebook page:
"The
homeless crisis in Alliance is worsening. While addiction and mental illness
contribute to this issue, that is not the case for everyone. It's important to
remember that sometimes bad things happen to good people.
"Their
lives are just as valuable, regardless of the circumstances."
Betz
claimed the city lacks resources for more drug prevention and does not care for
the homeless. She said she will be an advocate for the homeless and hopes
others will follow.
"Please,
if anybody sees something is off or knows that something isn't right, please
call the police and make that report. Please, if you see the homeless, stop by,
have a conversation and let them know they aren't alone. They don't have to
fight alone," Betz said.
ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN – FROM THE NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
HOMELESS MAN DIED FROM HYPOTHERMIA
byThomas BreenJanuary
21, 2026 6:13 pm
Exposure to the cold
played the primary role in the death of a 65-year-old homeless man who spent
the night on the Green last month as temperatures dipped below freezing.
The Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined on Jan. 6 that the cause of Kanchero’s death was “hypothermia due to environmental
exposure, with other significant conditions of acute and chronic alcohol use,”
according to an OCME spokesperson. The manner of Kanchero’s
death was determined to be an “accident.”
Hypothermia
is a condition that occurs when one’s body temperature drops to dangerously
low levels; a medical emergency, it can harm the functioning of the
heart and respiratory systems, and can lead to death.
In a statement sent
to the Independent on Wednesday, city police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart said that police started investigating Kanchero’s “sudden death” on Dec. 12.
“Detectives were
able to locate video footage which showed much of Kanchero’s
movements several hours prior to him being transported to the hospital,” Bruckhart wrote.
That footage begins
on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at around 7:18 p.m. and continues to Thursday, Dec. 11 at
7:38 a.m.
Kanchero “is seen
interacting with several people in the area of Chapel Street and Temple Street
over that time span until a passerby calls 911 at about 7:31AM,” Bruckhart wrote. “He was transported to the hospital about
ten minutes later. At one point, he fell off the bench, which caused a
bruise/scrape to his face. There was no indication of any assault seen on
video.”
Bruckhart added that an
autopsy was conducted by the medical examiner, and that the cause of death was
ruled to be “hypothermia due to environment exposure” and the manner of death
was an accident. The autopsy also noted “a contributory factor to be acute and
chronic alcohol use while also noting several other health issues.”
“What happened was a
tragedy,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s
heartbreaking.”
He spoke about how
the city does “everything we can to ensure that” people have a warm, safe place
to stay — especially in dangerously cold weather.
Kanchero died on the same
week that the city’s two warming centers, at Varick Church on Dixwell Avenue
and at the 180 Center on East Street, had reached capacity. A group of
advocates for the homeless rallied at City Hall on the night of Dec. 11 and
pressured the city to open a temporary warming center at the municipal office
building at 200 Orange St. The city closed that 200 Orange warming center a few days later
when it secured money from the state to open a third warming center at the 645
Grand Ave. homeless shelter.
The city’s three
warming centers have been all but full this week, Elicker reported, though no
one has been turned away.
Elicker said that,
on Tuesday night, 64 people stayed at the 180 Center warming center, which has
a capacity for 66 people; 36 people stayed at Varick, which has a capacity for
40 people; and 40 people stayed at 645 Grand, which has a capacity for 40
people.
“It’s tragic,”
Giovanni Castillo — a homeless man and member of the Unhoused Activist Community Team
(U-ACT) — said on
Wednesday when asked about Kanchero’s death from
hypothermia. (Castillo played a key role in advocating for the city to open a
temporary warming center at 200 Orange last month.)
Castillo said that
he did not personally know Kanchero. He reflected on
his and U-ACT’s work, including the week that Kanchero
died, in reaching out to homeless New Haveners and
helping them find safe places to get out of the cold. “It sucks that we weren’t
able to get to him and find him,” he said. “There’s so many homeless people” in
New Haven, he added. “It’s hard to know everybody.”
There are five
others including East Haven, Hamden, Hartford, New London and Windham. The info
about how many, etc. varies with there being HUNDREDS nationwide.
unionYES- using the term
“get over it people” is really shameful when in
relation to an article about a homeless elderly man who froze to death in a
city street due to his not being given direction to a warm safe place to go to
get out of the cold.
There are many reasons why someone may not have found other municipalities
resources to be helpful to them, and came here to try to get more help. And in
this case, he didn’t find the help he needed, and died as a result.
@Neighbor Shelters
are not a permanent fix. We need to bring back state mental institutions. Two-thirds
of our nation’s homeless struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues,
and expecting shelters to provide necessary treatment for those issues is
unrealistic. This is not an issue any individual town or city could handle
alone, but needs to be done at the state level with federal Medicare/Medicaid
backing.
andobo, not everyone who
is homeless is mentally ill, or addicted. Those are just the ones who are more
visible to the public.
Plenty of people who work full time or several part time jobs at lower wages
are unable to afford housing in this tight and expensive housing market rust is
short of units to meet the demand.
And there are people fleeing abuse in their former households.
And people who lost their jobs, or had very high medical bills to due injury or
illness and a hospital stay or treatments, or other life altering events that
have impacted their ability to pay rent.
And while some
people may have both mental health and substance abuse issues, the treatment of
mentally ill and the treatment of addiction are two different things, although
often substance abuse is related to mental health issues that the addict is
trying to self medicate.
But we shouldn’t be lumping them all together in mental hospitals, that’s
basically warehousing them, rather than tearing their individual needs with
appropriate care.
My mother worked at
a group home for people with cognitive as well as mental health issues, and
occasionally a client who had a major mental health episode and had to be
temporarily hospitalized for treatment in one of the now closed mental health
hospitals. She then would go to visit them when they were in the facility, and
she said the conditions there were simply awful, really depressing and anxiety
provoking, and not at all conducive to making people feel better.
What we really need is more supportive living for various kinds of needs, like
group homes or assisted living apartments, or other facilities where caring
trained staff help people to function at their best with round the clock staff.
And we definitely need more residential treatment centers for substance abuse
recovery, with a mental health care component.
And we really need
more deeply affordable housing for the poor, at 1/3 of their incomes.
As well as we need subsidized housing for the elderly and also for the disabled
that is assisted or supportive with staff or hosting staff to assist them in
whatever daily tasks they need help with.
New Haven’s
permissive approach to public behavior has turned compassion into a magnet for
disorder. On the Green, drinking, drug use, smoking, and public urination are
routinely tolerated. This is not accidental—it is the result of policy choices.
Nearby towns enforce
basic standards of conduct in public spaces. New Haven largely does not. People
respond to incentives, and when one city allows behavior others prohibit, it
becomes the destination. The result is a concentration of problems that
overwhelms public spaces. Invite them and they will come and not leave. You
broke it, you buy it!
Think twice, while I
agree that antisocial behaviors shouldn’t be tolerated in the public places, we
can’t just arrest and jail our way out of this, nor can we just kick people out
of our community and say move along, because that’s just kicking the can down
the road to the next community to deal with. If every community was kicking
them out, where then, should they go?
And we can’t
warehouse the mentally ill or addicted or the poor in prisons, mental
hospitals, poorhouses or workhouses, or other inhumane places that don’t
address their specific needs and don’t provide help for them to be at their
best selves, and just keep them hidden out of the public eye.
Society needs to
create more affordable and deeply affordable and subsidized housing units so
more low income people who just need a decent place to
live that they can afford can be housed.
And society needs to
create more supportive living for those with cognitive challenges, mental
health issues, or behavioral issues, at various levels of assistance or
supervision needs, with on site round the clock or
visiting trained staff.
And society needs to
create more residential treatment beds for those with substance abuse who need
help getting sober with mental health treatment as well. And clinics for
maintaining their recovery care when residential care is no longer needed.
And the cities can’t
be expected to do it on their own. Every municipality needs to have these
resources, and smaller or more rural towns should work together to create
regional resources. These are their people, and they should be caring for their
own, not forcing them out to come to cities and large post industrial towns to provide all the resources
needed for the state, especially when cities like New Haven have more than 57%
of its property mandated by the state as tax exempt.
Society can and
should do better to care for those who are struggling, and our federal, state
and municipal governments should be part of creating and funding these
solutions.
Neighbor, yes, the
suburbs need shelters, but more than that, they need subsidized housing and
deeply affordable and affordable housing, and supportive housing for those with
cognitive or mental health or behavioral or substance abuse needs, and assisted
living for low income elderly and also for disabled,
and addiction recovery clinics and residential treatment facilities, and mental
health resources, and food pantries and soup kitchens, warming centers, etc.
The suburbs should band together to create regionalized resources for their
residents who are struggling and have fallen on hard times.
And other cities and large industrial towns who do have some of those
resources, but not enough to fill the area’s need, should be lobbying the state
and the feds for more resources so they can provide enough help that residents
don’t have to leave their hometown community to go to New Haven to get help.
An elderly man shouldn’t be freezing to death on a city street.
“What happened was a
tragedy,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s
heartbreaking.” A 2 faced comment again by this mayor…Why?
He initiated turning off the heat at the Amistad House on Rosette St. to let
those poor people freeze, that heat is off to this day because of him. Do you
think it’s any warmer over there? Do you REALLY CARE mayor Elicker? I do not
think so!
4Sq, in CT the
building code is set by the state, not municipalities. Local officials merely
administer it. They cannot waive it. The Rosette Street structures do not come
close to meeting the State Building Code.
Kevin, this is a
story about a man who died without a roof over his head. The State Building Code
did nothing to save his life. Seems a bit ridiculous to harp on, given the
context and complete lack of solutions offered by the authorities at all
levels.
K: This is a
rhetorical dance around an inconvenient truth: Connecticut is not a sanctuary
state—but New Haven is a sanctuary city. New Haven has a long history of
charting its own course, consequences be damned. And it rarely pays a political
price for it. No Democrat wins the governor’s office without New Haven, which
is why the city so often gets a free pass. Principles
bend, definitions blur, and accountability quietly disappears when electoral
math enters the room.
I’m sorry but this
is a silly argument… The state building code doesn’t even contemplate this type
of structure so saying it doesn’t come close to meeting SFR code is a strange
argument to continue making. People are dying and the mayor, who had the power
on previously under emergency circumstances, certainly has the clout to make it
happen again. What do we gain by not supporting this in such an inconsequential
way, they pay the heat and fill a void that the city clearly cannot fill…. At least turn on the heat for someone who is doing
your work for you at ZERO taxpayer expense.
Kevin McCarthy- then
the state needs to do something to create more deeply affordable housing
solutions, until the state has sufficient affordable housing units to meet our
state’s needs. We are in the middle of a serious affordable housing crisis at
the local, state and national level.
Rosette Village at
Amistad House had access to a kitchen and bathroom and water in the main house.
The fire department made them get smoke and co2 detectors and fire extinguishers.
They’re better protected in these micro shelters than sleeping on the streets
or in a park or in an abandoned buildings.
An RV or trailer home or camper with a mini split or heater, electrical hookup
or solar panels with battery storage, a propane camp stove, composting toilet
or holding tanks with fresh water delivery or access and pump out dirty water
services or access to the main home facilities should be permitted by the state
as long as minimal safety standards can be met.
After all, what is the snow load and wind strength of an unprotected human
being out in the elements?
Tragedies like this
are the direct result of a city overly permissive with the homeless. If you
make it too easy to be homeless, then you attract them from other locations and
when you really need those warming shelters, they are full.
I recall a situation
where a homeless man was outside a bar. The bar gave him $20 to stand
elsewhere. He did so and told his friends. That same night, there were several
homeless outside the bar waiting for their $20 to leave. This is the situation
we have in New Haven. And the result? People die, as this gentleman.
Smacktoast- if New Haven
kicked the homeless out, then they would be dying elsewhere in another city or
town, because they have nowhere to go to get the housing it can afford or the
help that they need. The problem is our city, state and our country does not
have enough deeply affordable or affordable housing units, nor does it have
enough substance abuse treatment residential facilities, nor does it have
enough supportive living facilities for the mentally ill or those with
developmental disabilities, or cognitive impairments, or assisted living for
elderly or disabled folks, who are low income or for those whose insurance
won’t pay for.
It’s a tragedy and
the city is doing all it can says Mayor Elicker as
someone freezes to death at his doorstep. Clearly that’s not true. It might be
a good time to review all that you’re doing. Come up with an overflow plan. We
have 5,000 employees, a $730 million budget, dozens of schools and public
buildings including unused pool facilities with locker rooms – hell, put them
in the BOA chambers. Nothing good happens there and it’s rarely used. With sub zero temps coming on Saturday and a foot of snow or
more on Sunday/Monday, have any changes been made?
ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN – FROM THE NY DAILY NEWS
THREE
HOMELESS PEOPLE FOUND DEAD ON NYC STREETS AS DEEP FREEZE GRIPS CITY
By Julian Roberts -Grmela and Nicholas WilliamsPUBLISHED: January 24, 2026 at
8:32 PM EST | UPDATED: January 24, 2026 at 10:33 PM EST
Three people were
found dead Saturday morning on the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn amid
freezing temperatures, cops said.
A 67-year-old man was
pronounced dead at the scene when police found his body outside around 7:45
a.m. near Third Ave. and E. 35th St. in Murray Hill.
About two hours later,
the lifeless body of a 64-year-old woman was found around 9:25 a.m. outside a
home near Remsen Ave. and Glenwood Rd. in Canarsie. An unidentified man
was also found dead around the same time near Warren and Smith Sts. in Cobble Hill.
The cause of death of
all three individuals will be determined by the city’s medical examiner. by
All three persons were
homeless and showed no signs of trauma, according to PIX 11.
Police did not
indicate there had been any criminality involved, and no arrests have been
made.
Temperatures plunged
to 10 degrees Saturday morning — with wind chills making it feel more like 8
degrees below zero — as New Yorkers braced for a bone-numbing Arctic blast to sweep into
town Sunday morning.
Once the snow comes in
— with forecasts predicting as much as a foot — the white stuff is expected to
stick around for a while as temperatures are expected to remain below freezing
throughout the week.
A “Code Blue” cold
weather alert was in effect as New York City Emergency Management said outreach
teams will be helping connect the homeless to shelters amid the dangerous deep
freeze.
“No one who is
homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be
denied. New Yorkers who see individuals they believe to be experiencing
homelessness and in need should contact 311 via phone or mobile app and request
outreach assistance,” NYCEM said in a statement on X.
Saturday evening, the
Daily News found two homeless men in downtown Manhattan bedded down on the
sidewalk in sleeping bags, braving the brutal weather — one in the East Village
and one in Chinatown outside a park.
Asked if he was doing
OK, the man in the East Village answered in gibberish. Raising concern at
first, the man in Chinatown didn’t open his eyes when The News asked if he was
all right — but then he rolled over.
ATTACHMENT
NINETEEN “A” – FROM
THE NEW YORK POST
3
DEAD BODIES FOUND ACROSS NYC ON FREEZING MORNING, OFFICIALS SAID
By Tina MoorePublished Jan.
24, 2026, 7:10 p.m. ET
Temperatures
plummeted to a low as 10 degrees overnight into Saturday.
Around the same
time, a man’s body was discovered at 327 Warren Ave. in Cobble Hill. The man,
who was believed to be in his 30s, was also pronounced dead and remains
unidentified.
No criminality was
suspected in the three cases, cops said.
EMS went to each
scene. All are unidentified and the Office of the City Medical Examiner will
determine the cause of death, cops said.
The city instituted
Code Blue days to get homeless people off the street when the temperature drops below freezing. Shelters accept
all individuals without regular intake procedures, and drop-in centers stay
open 24 hours.
ATTACHMENT
NINETEEN “B” – FROM
THE NEW YORK POST
CRITICS
PUSH MAMDANI, NYC TO DO MORE TO FORCE HOMELESS INTO SHELTERS AFTER 10 DIE IN DEEP FREEZE
By Craig
McCarthy, Carl Campanile and David PropperPublished Jan. 28, 2026, 7:28 p.m. ET
At least six out of 10 New Yorkers found dead outdoors
during the city’s Arctic deep freeze were homeless,
Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed Wednesday — as critics
called on him to “step up” and take action.
Some advocates and
local pols said the city needed to do more to force homeless individuals into
shelters — though Mamdani has called that a “last resort” and ordered his
administration to stop clearing tent encampments in the five boroughs.
“I don’t care what
your ideology is,” former city Comptroller Scott Stringer argued. “When it’s 7
degrees, you get everyone in a safe place.”
The twice-mayoral
candidate said there should be more alarm over the grim body count — as one
homeless advocate said he “couldn’t remember” the last time so many people
succumbed to the cold of the Big Apple.
“If there were 10
shooting deaths there would be a mass mobilization,” Stringer told The Post.
Coalition For The Homeless executive director Dave Giffen
said that the death toll was nearly unprecedented.
“I’ve lived in New
York City all my life and I can’t remember a time when so many people have died
from a winter storm in such a short period of time, it’s absolutely tragic,” Giffen said Wednesday.
Ex-FDNY Commissioner
Tom Van Essen said he would have directed firefighters and EMS workers to pick
up homeless people and take them to a shelter during these unbearable
conditions “whether they like it or not.”
He blamed state
lawmakers for refusing to make it easier to haul people off the streets for
their own good.
“We have many
mentally ill people who are incarcerated at Rikers,” Van Essen told The Post.
“But we allow other mentally ill people to freeze to death?”
In the most recent tally
compiled by the city, there were 29 deaths tied to cold weather including the
homeless in 2023.
On average, there
have been 27 cold exposure deaths between 2017 and 2023, according to city
data.
The official causes
of deaths of the 10 so far this year have yet to be determined by the city
medical examiner.
At least one of the
deaths was a 90-year-old woman with dementia who was not homeless, but wandered
from her Brooklyn apartment before she was found dead Monday morning, Gothamist reported, citing neighbors.
The heartbreak stretched
across four boroughs with three deaths each in Queens and Brooklyn and another
two fatalities each in Manhattan and the Bronx dating back to Saturday,
according to the NYPD.
Six people were
already dead by the time first responders reached their bodies.
In another instance,
St. Barnabas Hospital staff found a 60-year-old man unresponsive just outside
the medical center Saturday morning.
They rushed him
inside, but he was ultimately pronounced dead.
Another man was
found naked by a construction worker in the Bronx Monday morning while a
47-year-old man was discovered slumped on a bench outside a Key Foods in
Queens, law enforcement sources said.
The loss of life
comes after Mamdani said coming into office he would take a less forceful
approach to pulling New Yorkers off the streets by ending homeless encampment
raids heralded by the Adams administration.
On Tuesday, he said,
“If a New Yorker is a danger to themselves or to others then that’s the
driving force of that decision” in reference to forcing someone off the street
in the frigid conditions.
“This is a last
resort,” he added.
“Our first method of
outreach is to communicate to homeless New Yorkers across the five boroughs as
to the options that they have. We however are not going to leave someone out in
the cold if they’re a danger to themselves or to others.”
Mamdani’s office
said in a statement Wednesday it’s ramped up effort to reach people on the
streets, including having outreach groups looking to help those in need every
two hours.
The city also opened
10 new warming centers and rolled out another 10 warming vans while asking
faith-based leaders for a hand, according to City Hall.
But Giffen, of the homeless coalition, said the tragic turn of
the winter storm that dropped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Big
Apple shows more urgent action is needed.
“Is the city doing
enough, I think the answer to that is very clearly no because of the fact there
have been so many deaths,” he said.
Bottom
of Form
But he pointed the
finger at Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, insisting that sweeps of homeless
encampments were “counterproductive” to helping the homeless. Mamdani has
ended the practice in his administration.
“There was a real
policy and approach of criminalization of involuntary removals that created an
overwhelming feeling of fear and mistrust among many of the people who were
sleeping unsheltered,” he said.
Manhattan
Institute Senior Fellow Nicole Gelinas said she’s not quick to blame Mamdani
for the deaths, but said the mayor should be encouraging residents to call 911
— not 311 — when a homeless New Yorker is spotted.
She
believes Mamdani is not treating this situation gravely enough.
“If
they are letting them stay in an encampment with blankets and gloves, are they
involuntary removing them or do they think they are safe,” Gelinas said. “That
is the question because they may think they are safe but their brains could
just stop working overnight.”
Conversation167
Comments
PEANUT
GALLERY
·Your comment was
rejected.
·The
Don Jones Index
26 seconds ago
Round them up and
lock them up. If they resist the government's insistance
on safety - shoot them!
We can send people
to the moon but we cannot resolve our homeless problem. We can flood our
country with more human beings who will need all sorts of services, but we
cannot solve our homeless problem. We can incite riots in big cities, wreak
havoc and ramp up the hostility before going home to a w...
oInnsbruck
Gal
15 hours ago
but we cannot
resolve our homeless problem
Done all by design
to bring the quality of living to be unlivable for Americans.
This is part of the Dem's
long tern planning
·Leigh
Coble
12 hours ago
Anyone who has
experience with the mentally ill knows that those who are ill or drugged are
incapable of recognizing what is rationally good for themselves. I also find it
hypocritical that the left is so worried about ICE protesters' rights and
safety but aren't worried about helpless homeless in...
·Adam
16 hours ago
This the compassion
that the ACLU and activists demand. It’s no different
than demanding for the criminally insane to be free to terrorize the rest of
the population. Until the population starts connecting obvious dots and voting
differently, this will only get worse
oEugenia
Renskoff
13 hours ago
Not all homeless people
are mentally challenged. If they distrust those offering help
they often have good reason to do so. Shelters are often not good or safe
places. That being said no one should be out there in this punishing weather. I
hope all who died are resting in peace and whoever is still...
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY–
FROMTHE GOTHAMIST
AMONG 10 WHO DIED OUTSIDE IN NYC COLD, A HISTORY OF HOMELESSNESS, DRUG USE,
HEALTH ISSUES
By Brittany Kriegstein, David
Brand and Caroline LewisPublished Jan 28, 2026
These were three of the 10 people New York City
officials said were found dead outside from Saturday to Tuesday during
dangerously cold temperatures and the biggest winter storm the city has seen in
years, according to authorities, family members and neighbors.
Although details about the individual circumstances
were still emerging on Wednesday and city officials had yet to release the
official causes of death, Gothamist found that various factors may have put the
10 people in harm’s way as the weather deteriorated into life-threatening
conditions.
According to police, the eight men and two
women were found in front of homes, near busy intersections, outside a hospital
and next to a supermarket.
Six of them were discovered on Saturday
morning, after temperatures across the city plummeted as low as the single
digits overnight. The remainder were found on each of the following mornings.
She was the oldest of those whose ages the
NYPD has released so far, while the youngest was in his mid-40s. Seven of the
people were declared dead on site, while three were pronounced dead at local
hospitals, police said.
City officials said it’s too soon to tell how
many of the deaths were directly caused by the cold. But Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference Wednesday that
officials suspected hypothermia played a role in about seven of them, and about
six of the 10 people were known to the city’s Department of Homeless Services.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was
still investigating all of the cases, according to a spokesperson, who did not
provide further details. Mamdani said it will take five to seven days after the
autopsies are completed for blood and other test results to come back and for
the causes of death to be determined.
A 2018 study by the city health department analyzing
cold-related deaths between 2005 and 2014 found that three-quarters of those who
died were exposed to the cold outdoors and about half of that group were
homeless.
It also concluded that multiple other factors
were often at play, including mental illness, substance use or other
pre-existing medical conditions.
The city recorded an average of 19
cold-related deaths each year between 2005 and 2022, data shows.
“This is not a case of death from exposure,”
said Michael’s older sister Gia Veronico, adding that
police and city medical examiners told her they had found fentanyl, crack
cocaine and benzodiazepines in his system. “He was a long-term habitual drug
user and it unfortunately killed him.”
Gia Veronico said
her brother’s substance use started when he was in the seventh grade. By the
time he started high school, she said, he was regularly taking heroin
intravenously, and he did not graduate as a result.
By 2008, Michael Veronico
was kicked out of the place where he was staying and ended up on the streets,
according to his sister. She said he bounced between homeless shelters in
Hell’s Kitchen between 2012 and 2016, and by 2019, he was still homeless and
staying in the Cobble Hill-Carroll Gardens area, not far from where they grew
up.
He was discovered dead outside a building on
Warren and Smith streets around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to police. Gia
Veronico said her brother's 45th birthday was just
weeks away.
The city health department study said
substance use can cause people to become incapacitated outdoors and make it
harder for them to protect themselves in dangerous weather.
“Things that mess with or alter the
consciousness or one's ability to be aware of how one's body is feeling are, I
think, the things that create the greatest risk,” said Dr. David Silvestri, an
emergency department physician at NYC Health and Hospitals South Brooklyn
Health who also serves as the health system’s assistant chief for care delivery
and oversees its emergency preparedness. “In rare cases, that could be
medications, but in most situations it's alcohol or substances, particularly
the ones that create a level of drowsiness."
At least one of the people found dead had been
a patient at a public hospital just days before he died, according to state
Sen. Jessica Ramos of Queens. Relatives and Ecuadorian consulate officials
identified the 52-year-old man as NolbertoJimbo-Niola.
Police said he was discovered Sunday morning
sitting on a bench in a small park at the corner of Junction Boulevard and 34th
Avenue in North Corona.
Ramos said he had discharge papers on him from
Elmhurst Hospital, which were dated to that Friday.
"It's unclear why he was discharged from
the hospital if he had nowhere to go during Code Blue," she said in an interview,
referring to the city’s emergency protocol expanding homeless outreach and
shelter access when real-feel temperatures drop below freezing overnight.
"We deserve to know what happened to him so
that we can not only honor his memory but ensure that this does not happen
again."
Health and Hospitals did not comment on Jimbo-Niola’s death, citing patient privacy laws. But
spokespeople said the system does not discharge people into unsafe conditions,
such as extreme cold, or without helping to arrange their shelter destination.
Outside the park on Wednesday, Adriana Isela,
a lifelong neighborhood resident, said the benches have long been a gathering
place for a small group of men who drink and spend time together, typically
after work hours.
“People use it at night to sleep where nobody
will bother them,” said Isela, 20. “And they don’t bother anyone.”
Police said another person who died, a
60-year-old man, was found just steps from St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx
on Saturday morning by staff who brought him inside.
A spokesperson for the hospital said a doctor
discovered the man on a path between two hospital buildings, and though he was
taken into the emergency department he could not be saved. The man had been in
the hospital on Jan. 22 with sciatica and was discharged, the spokesperson
added.
Officials said they have opened warming centers across
the city for the present frigid spell, including
at public hospitals. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing
into next week, according to the National Weather Service,
and Mamdani’s administration is urging New Yorkers to keep an eye out for their
neighbors. The mayor said outreach teams have placed more than 200 homeless
people into shelters and other indoor locations over the past several days.
The city’s Department of Homeless Services has
activated an Enhanced Code Blue, meaning outreach workers are intensifying
their efforts to connect people living outside to shelter. Officials said
people can call 311 about anyone outdoors who appears vulnerable, and those
calls will be routed to 911 during the emergency period so that first
responders can mobilize.
Gia Veronico said
she did not blame the city for her brother Michael’s death, noting that while
he had “self-destructive” tendencies, he always seemed able to look out for
himself. She said only a "collective municipal effort” could have changed
his trajectory, including workshops to create more awareness about how to help
people with addiction.
“I can't say for sure it would have led to a
different ending in Michael's case, but I think it would have changed his
odds,” she said.
ATTACHMENT TWENTY ONE – FROM CNN
ONE OF THE LONGEST COLD-AIR OUTBREAKS IN DECADES IS
ABOUT TO GET EVEN COLDER, WITH RECORD TEMPS AS FAR SOUTH AS FLORIDA
More
than 200 daily cold temperature records could be broken from Friday through
Monday across the eastern half of the US as temperatures plunge further with a
new push of bitter air.
Temperatures
this weekend could drop more than 30 degrees below normal in spots, especially
in the South and East.
The
worsening of already deadly cold
is harrowing news for anyone without access to power and shelter, not to
mention the wallets of people paying to
keep warm.
CONTINUED
COLD IN STORM’S AFTERMATH
Last
weekend’s historic winter storm and
the brutal cold that followed have been blamed for at least 50 deaths in the
US, the Associated Press reported.
More
than 350,000 homes and businesses in the South caught in the cold’s vice-like
grip have no power as of Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Some
have been without it for four days following the storm.
It’ll
be a race against the clock to restore power here before even colder
temperatures hit.
Nashville,
Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi, are just two of more than two dozen
Southern cities that could set records on Saturday for the coldest daytime
temperatures for the date.
Nashville,
where power infrastructure was particularly crippled, is forecast to only reach
20 degrees while Tupelo could approach 26 degrees. Those high temperatures are
30 degrees below normal for both cities for this time of year.
Other
areas hit by the storm’s ice are also in for another freeze.
Atlanta
is also likely to only climb into the mid-to-upper 20s on Saturday. The
forecast high temperature of 27 would be the coldest day in the city since
December 2022.
The
cold has been unrelenting since it first arrived with the weekend storm.
The
period from last weekend into next week could end up being the longest freezing
stretch in Philadelphia in nearly 65 years.
The city
is forecast to remain at or below freezing (32 degrees) for 12 full days — into
next week — which would be the longest since 1961’s 15-day streak.
Farther
down the Interstate-95 corridor, it could be the longest freezing stretch in
Washington, DC, in more than three decades. Forecasts show DC at- or
below-freezing for nine consecutive days, ending early next week. That would be
the longest stretch since a 10-day cold blast in December 1989.
Other
cities fall short of the multi-decade mark but are still really cold.
And
Chicago — no stranger to freezing weather — is impressively on track to hit an
even colder mark: its longest stretch of temperatures below 20 degrees since
2018.
More
than three dozen daily cold records — both low temperature and coldest high
temperature records — could be broken or tied in the Sunshine State on Sunday.
Orlando
could record a low temperature below 30 degrees for the first time in eight
years. It’s forecast to hit 25 degrees there, which would tie a daily record.
Not
even South Florida will avoid the cold: This weekend’s Arctic blast is shaping
up to be the coldest in the region in 15 years. It will definitely be cold
enough to send iguanas plummeting from
their perches.
Miami’s
low temperature on Sunday morning is forecast to be around 36 degrees, which
would tie the day’s record low, but still be way off its all-time lowest
temperature of 28 degrees. Even if it misses out on the day’s record, it’s
still likely to be the coldest morning in Miami since December 2010.
The
cold will finally start to ease a bit later next week, according to forecasts
from the Climate Prediction Center.
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY TWO – FROM REUTERS
WINTER
STORM KILLS DOZENS AS COLD LINGERS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN US
By Rich
McKay and Maria Tsvetkova
January 27, 2026 3:42 PM ESTUpdated
January 28, 2026
·Almost 200 million under some
form of winter cold warning at least through February 1
·Emergency responders
mobilized to protect vulnerable populations
·Various storm-related
deaths include hypothermia and cardiac incidents
The storm started to
develop on Friday and dumped snow across a large region
over the weekend. The snow snarled road traffic and led to widespread flight
cancellations and power outages before subsiding Monday, leaving behind bitter
cold that is expected to linger.
By Tuesday, cities were
mobilizing emergency responders and resources to ensure that residents,
particularly homeless people, were safe, even as more than 550,000 homes and
businesses across the country lacked electricity.
Ten of the storm's fatal
victims were in New York City, where temperatures were the coldest
they had been in eight years, Mayor Zohran Mamdani
said at a news conference on Tuesday, when the low hit 8 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the 10 victims were
found outside, it was not clear whether they were homeless. Mamdani told
reporters Monday that some of the dead "had had interactions with our
shelter system in the past. It is still too early toa broader diagnosis or a cause of
death."
New York City postponed
from this week until early February an annual count of its homeless population
required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
"Outreach workers
should be focused on bringing New Yorkers inside, not on data collection,"
Mamdani said. "Here is the bottom line, New York City: Extreme weather is
not a personal failure."
Around 500 of the more than
4,000 homeless people estimated to live in the city's streets and subway have
been placed in shelters since January 19, Mamdani said. Outreach workers were
checking every two hours on 350 homeless people who are at particular risk due
to underlying medical conditions.
In Nashville, Tennessee, a
city of about 680,000 where more than 135,000 homes and businesses remain
without power, the temperature is expected to drop to 6 degrees Fahrenheit by
Wednesday morning with below-zero wind chills.
"Let's be clear about
what this is," Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said at a Tuesday press
conference. "It is an historic ice storm."
Nashville officials said
about 1,400 homeless people had filled all three of the city's homeless
shelters and two overflow shelters, with police and firefighters working
overtime and emergency workers checking the streets.
The Nashville Rescue
Mission, a homeless charity that feeds, clothes and offers shelter year-round,
typically might have about 400 people a night, but in the cold snap that number
has swollen to about 7,000.
"We're always full,
but we never turn anyone away," an attendant who was not authorized to
speak to reporters so did not give a name told Reuters by telephone. "When
the weather is bad, people come in out of the cold."
VARIOUS CAUSES OF DEATH
Across the country,
storm-related causes of death ranged from hypothermia and exposure to cardiac
incidents while clearing snow.
In Bonham, Texas, about 55
miles northeast of Dallas, three young boys died after falling in an ice pond
over the weekend, though the exact circumstances were unclear, according to the
local fire department.
Several hours away in
Austin, Texas, a person died of apparent hypothermia while trying to shelter at
an abandoned gas station, authorities said. Other hypothermia deaths were
reported from Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,
Tennessee and Michigan, local media reported.
Almost 200 million Americans
remain under some form of winter cold warning at least through February 1.
Forecasters are watching
for another possible winter storm to impact the eastern U.S. this weekend, said
David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction
Center.
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY THREE – FROM
ABC
TEN PEOPLE DIE IN NYC'S FRIGID COLD, RAISING QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE CITY'S PREPAREDNESS
At least 10 people have died in New York City since bitter cold and snow
hit this weekend
By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated PressJanuary 27, 2026, 4:15 PM
NEW
YORK -- One man was discovered under a layer of snow on a park bench in
Queens. Another was found just steps from a Manhattan hospital. Yet another was
pronounced dead on the ground beneath an elevated train line in the Bronx.
Each is
among a growing number of people — at least 10, as of Tuesday — who died after
being exposed to the bitter cold that has persisted in New York City since late
last Friday.
Their
causes of death are still under investigation, but some showed signs of having
succumbed to hypothermia. Officials said several victims were believed to have
been living on the streets. At least six of the fatalities came early Saturday,
as the temperature in the city fell to 9 degrees (minus 13 degrees Celsius).
With
the frigid weather expected to continue, Mayor Zohran
Mamdani said the city was adding additional homeless outreach workers, opening
new warming centers and instructing hospitals to limit discharges “to ensure
that people who have nowhere to go are kept indoors.”
But the
rising death toll has also prompted questions about whether Mamdani’s nascent administration could
have done more to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents ahead of the
Arctic blast and the snowstorm that hit early Sunday.
One of
the victims, a 52-year-old man living in Queens, was found Sunday morning with
discharge papers in his pocket showing he had been released from Elmhurst
Hospital, a city-run facility, on Friday, according to State Senator Jessica
Ramos.
By the
time of his release, the city had already activated its Code Blue protocols, a
set of extreme weather policies that include precautions meant to ensure
homeless patients are not released back onto the street.
It was
not immediately clear if the man, who is originally from Ecuador, had been
living outside at the time of his death. Inquiries to City Hall, the Department
of Homeless Services and the city’s public hospital system were not returned.
The
city has yet to release the names of any of those who died during the storm.
Studies
have shown that around 15 people suffer
from cold-related deaths in New York City each year. But homeless advocates
said they could not remember another storm in recent memory that resulted in so
many deaths outside in such a brief period.
“The
fact that this many people have passed away shows the city needs to do a much
better job of making people feel safe when they come inside,” said David Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the
Homeless. “It’s not that most of the people on the streets are unaware of the
shelter system, but that they’ve had experiences there that make them not want
to return."
In the
lead-up to the storm, city-contracted outreach teams fanned out across the five
boroughs, attempting to coax residents to accept placements in shelters,
transitional housing or even heated buses. Mamdani and his deputies have
repeatedly urged New Yorkers to look out for those in need of help.
“Extreme
weather is not a personal failure, but it is a public responsibility,” Mamdani
said on Tuesday. “We are mobilizing every resource at our disposal to ensure
that New Yorkers are brought indoors during this potentially lethal weather
event.”
The
city’s social services commissioner, Molly Wasow
Park, said at least 200 people have voluntarily accepted shelter since the
storm began. She said the city has also moved to involuntarily hospitalize a
handful of people, including those who were wet, inappropriately dressed or
“unable to acknowledge that there are real dangers.”
Ramos
said the man discovered on the park bench was wearing only a thin jacket. His
body appeared to be frozen when it was found by police under a layer of snow on
Sunday morning.
“It’s devastating to know the government could
have done more and didn’t,” she said. “There are real questions here that
demand answers.”
ATTACHMENT TWENTY FOUR – FROMWCAX
96-YEAR-OLD
DIES OF HYPOTHERMIA RELATED TO WINTER STORM
One person
died of hypothermia in South Carolina related to the winter storm that swept
across half the country, bringing ice and power outages to the Carolinas.
By
Brandy Beard and Debra WorleyPublished: Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:56 AM EST
GREENWOOD
COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – A 96-year-old woman died of hypothermia in
South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said Monday.
The
woman’s death was related to the winter storm that swept across half the
country, bringing ice and power outages to the Carolinas.
The
storm moved into the area Saturday night. The bulk of the ice fell overnight
into early Sunday morning.
At
least 30 deaths have been reported in states afflicted with severe cold,
including two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal
sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman
whose body was found covered in snow in Kansas. In New York City, officials
said eight people were found dead outdoors over the frigid weekend.
More
widespread record-cold temperatures were forecast for Tuesday, with eastern
Texas through western Pennsylvania under extreme cold warnings, according to
the National Weather Service. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear
warned that the temperatures could be so frigid that as little as 10 minutes
outside “could result in frostbite or hypothermia.”
And
forecasters said it’s possible another winter storm could hit parts of the East
Coast this weekend.
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY FIVE – FROMEUR (THE ELECTRONIC URBAN REPORT) WEB
MONEQUE
COOK FOUND DEAD AFTER FREEZING NIGHT OUTSIDE MICHIGAN SHELTER
Family
Demands Answers After Woman Turned Away From Shelter
Dies in Subzero Cold
Moneque Cook’s tragic death
sparks community outrage
*MonequeCook,
a 53-year-old Black woman from Eastpointe,
Michigan, was found dead after
spending a night in subzero temperatures. She was discovered behind a building
in Mount Clemens early Tuesday morning, January 20 or 21, 2026.
A waste collection worker
found her barefoot, coatless, and unresponsive around 3:48 a.m. She was later
pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The Moneque
Cook death has raised serious concerns about shelter policies, winter
safety, and possible foul play.
TURNED AWAY FROM SHELTER
DUE TO LATE BUS ARRIVAL
According to viral
social media posts and family statements, Moneque had
been living in shelters while struggling with homelessness. That night, she
arrived about 20 minutes late to a shelter due to a bus delay.
Because she missed the
strict check-in cutoff, staff reportedly refused her entry—leaving her outside
with no place to go in the deadly cold. Her death has sparked a firestorm of
criticism over rigid shelter rules and lack of emergency exceptions during
extreme weather.
SIGNS OF TRAUMA RAISE
QUESTIONS ABOUT FOUL PLAY
While officials
initially suggested hypothermia as the likely cause, family members and
witnesses say the story may not be so simple. Cook was found with visible signs
of trauma, including a swollen face and blood on her pants.
The Moneque Cook death is now under investigation by the
Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. The official autopsy and toxicology results
from the medical examiner are still pending.
Family speaks out:
‘This doesn’t make sense’
Moneque’s family has publicly
demanded answers. They expressed heartbreak and deep suspicion, saying her
injuries suggest she may have been assaulted or involved in a violent incident.
“She didn’t deserve to
die like this,” one relative told local media. “Even if she was homeless, she
mattered.” The family is pushing for transparency and an independent
investigation into the Moneque Cook death.
COMMUNITY
AND CITY LEADERS RESPOND TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
The City of Mount
Clemens offered condolences and announced the opening of additional warming
centers. A local nonprofit that worked with Cook described her as kind and
grateful despite her circumstances.
This heartbreaking
case has reignited calls for cities to re-examine shelter rules, expand
overnight capacity, and provide emergency flexibility during winter months.
The Moneque Cook death is becoming a
flashpoint for advocates fighting to protect the unhoused.
SHELTER RULES UNDER
FIRE AFTER DEADLY NIGHT
Advocates argue that
rigid shelter check-in policies are dangerous—especially for those relying on
unreliable public transportation. Cook missed the cutoff
by just minutes.
Many are now demanding
that shelters adopt overflow or grace period policies during extreme weather.
The Moneque Cook death is one of several
recent cold-weather tragedies involving unhoused people nationwide.
WHY THE DEATH OF
MONEQUE COOK MATTERS
Beyond one city or one
shelter, this case shines a light on a broken system. From transportation
delays to lack of emergency options, vulnerable people are falling through the
cracks.
The Moneque Cook death has already inspired protests,
memorials, and policy debates. For many, it’s a painful reminder that access to
warmth, shelter, and basic dignity should never be up for debate.
While
in the Old World, itself… as the polar vortex swept over the U.K., London’s
Free Press…
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY SIX – FROMLONDON FREE PRESS
LONDON'S 2025 HOMELESS DEATH TOLL REVEALED AS
DEEP-FREEZE SHELTER OPENS
An
estimated 50 homeless Londoners have died so far this year.
By Jack
MoultonPublished
Dec 08, 2025Last updated Dec 09, 2025
A person deals with
the cold weather on Dundas Street in London on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. The
temperature was -14 C at 8 a.m. with the wind chill at -21 C. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)
An estimated 50
homeless Londoners have died so far this year, figures released just as city
hall opens its own doors to help people off the street amid frigid overnight
temperatures.
The data comes from
the London Homeless Coalition, which is notified of any homeless death from the
city’s shelter and social service providers, city hall, police, and the public
health office.
The data reflects
the beginning of January up until Dec. 8 and the 50 deaths already mark an
increase over 2024, which saw 44 deaths, according to coalition data presented in September’s
evaluation of London’s whole of community response to health and homelessness.
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“London does have a very good system in place to
help those get connected to housing,” said Carol-Anne Blanchard, chair of the
coalition.
“Unfortunately, the system is overrun by the
amount of people who have become homeless over the last couple of years, and
therefore the system isn’t working as quickly as it could be because it wasn’t
prepared for this level of homeless population.”
While groups like
the whole of community response typically rely on the coalition’s data,
Blanchard stresses the number is “not always an accurate reflection” of the homeless
deaths in the city.
The coalition has a
notification system, where if any of the 22 partners become aware of a death
due to homelessness, they submit a notification document to the coalition.
Ages and causes of
death can vary, from exposure to the elements to drug overdoses, health issues,
natural causes or “unknown.” Blanchard added the youngest person to die was 17
while the oldest was 84 years old. As well, 38 males died compared to 12
females.
Blanchard
specifically flags a large number of people in their late 50s to early 60s
dying, saying that older Londoners with ongoing health issues and addiction can
face trouble finding long-term housing that can address both.
Sarah Campbell,
executive director of shelter and service provider Ark Aid Street Mission, said
this year’s figure “is a loss to our community, and it’s something we need to
pay attention to.”
At the same time,
she believes other metrics paint a more vivid picture of London’s situation,
including an overall rise in homeless people and the number of people in
homelessness for the first time, as well as the number of seniors experiencing
homelessness.
“Those all are indicators that our social
systems, and our affordable housing projects, and the things that we believe
will catch people, aren’t working, and the ultimate end of that, when our
systems fail us, is death.” she said.
ATTACHMENT TWENTY SEVEN – FROM THE TELEGRAPH UK
IN
DEFENCE OF BRITISH WINTERS
Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an
off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories.
Orlando writes...
So January crawls to its conclusion, leaving us to look forward to... February.
Are you feeling the lure of warmer climes? The Telegraph’s Sally Howard
recently interviewed several people whose policy is to give the entire British
winter a miss, swapping London for Sri Lanka or Gran Canaria.
Apparently this trend is on the rise.
I’ll pass, thanks. Perhaps it’s just some form of Stockholm syndrome, but the
truth is that I don’t mind this time of year. If anything, I’d like it to be
colder: those bright, icy days at the beginning of the year were my idea of fun
(apart from when I was trying desperately not to slip over). Maybe I actually
need to move to Stockholm.
Anyway, I wondered if it was just me – a lone masochist with a love of heavy
jumpers – but it turns out many readers feel the same way.
Paul Rolink declared: “There’s nothing wrong
with British winters. In fact our seasonal climate is
very kind to us, and it’s much worse elsewhere. You can go out every day, so
just enjoy it.”
Jonathan Lingard added: “The robins are busy and the plants are budding
at the moment, which you will miss out on if you spend the next couple of
months abroad. Not everything about January is gloomy.”
Nigel Tebb wrote: “I’ve never understood the
whole ‘escaping winter’ thing. I love the winter here, just as I love spring,
summer and autumn, each season making you appreciate the other. I’d hate to
live somewhere that was always hot and sunny.”
Hear, hear. For Kimberly Blackwell, meanwhile, the main deterrent was that
“I would miss my dogs too much. I live in Texas, though, where we have decent
winters.”
Are you a winter sun-seeker? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the
Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
ATTACHMENT TWENTY EIGHT – FROMRELIEF WEB
GLOBAL WEATHER HAZARDS
SUMMARY JANUARY 22, 2026 - JANUARY 28, 2026
22 Jan 2026 Originally published21 Jan 2026
Global Overview: La Nińa is present. Flood threats
exist in parts of eastern and southern Africa, parts of the Caribbean-facing
regions, and Colombia. Abnormally cold temperatures expected in Central Asia.
Africa Weather Hazards
Southern Africa experienced another week of heavy
rainfall, resulting in widespread severe flooding, which is expected to
continue. Meanwhile, hot conditions are anticipated in parts of East Africa.
1. Inundation continues in the Sudd wetlands of South
Sudan.
2. Below-average rainfall since the beginning of the
season has led to abnormal dryness and drought across a wide portion of Eastern
Africa, including southern Ethiopia, Somalia, much of Kenya, parts of Uganda
and Tanzania. These dry conditions have resulted in severe drought over much of
Somalia and in eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Kenya.
3. Insufficient rainfall since October has caused
abnormal dryness across the south-central and central regions of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC). Persistent rainfall deficits since the start of
the season have also led to abnormal dryness in western, northwestern, and
central Angola, as well as western and southern Madagascar. In western Angola,
these sustained deficits have further intensified, resulting in drought
conditions.
4. Widespread and severe flooding has been reported
across southern and central Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, and northern and
eastern South Africa. Given the heavy rainfall and saturated soil conditions
over recent weeks, flooding is likely across eastern Zambia, Malawi, much of
Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, eastern and northeastern South
Africa, eastern, northern, and southwestern Madagascar, and southern Tanzania.
Forecast additional heavy rainfall is expected to sustain elevated flood risks
across these areas.
5. Flooding has been reported in parts of North Africa.
In Morocco, flooding affected the Tiznit and
Essaouira regions of western Morocco. In Tunisia, flooding was reported across
several areas, including the Monastir (east-central), Nabeul (northeast), and
Greater Tunis, resulting in fatalities and injuries.
6. Abnormal hot conditions are forecast across parts of
Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
ATTACHMENT
TWENTY NINE – FROMREUTERS
JAPAN BRACES FOR MORE HEAVY SNOWSTORMS AS MIDWINTER
ELECTION NEARS
By Mariko
KatsumuraJanuary 29, 2026 12:11 AM ESTUpdated 11 hours ago
·Heavy
snowstorms forecasted for northern and western Japan, warns weather agency
·Severe
weather may impact voter turnout and campaigning in midwinter election
·Liberal
Democratic Party expected to gain majority, Nikkei survey indicates
TOKYO,
Jan 29 (Reuters) - Northern and western parts of Japan face more heavy
snowstorms later this week, the weather agency said on Thursday, as lawmakers
campaign in the first winter election in
36 years, with the risk of lower voter turnout due to the freezing weather.
Heavy
snowfalls of up to 70 centimetres (27.56 inches) in
the Hokuriku region of northwestern Japan and 60 centimetres
(23.6 inches) in south-central Kinki, particularly along the Sea of Japan, is
forecast through Friday, the Meteorological Agency said.
The
agency urged caution due to potential traffic disruptions and the risk of
avalanches.
Heavy
snowfall last week brought northern Japan’s Hokkaido to a standstill, leaving
thousands stranded at its main airport overnight after several dozen flights
were grounded.
Japan
is set to host the lower house election on February 8, and heavy snowfalls
blanketing northern Japan could depress voter turnout and disrupt campaigning,
particularly in rural areas, adding another layer of uncertainty to the snap
election.
Prime
Minister SanaeTakaichi's
Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and
gain a majority in the lower house, a preliminary survey by the Nikkei
newspaper showed on Thursday.
ATTACHMENT
THIRTY – FROMAI
OVERVIEW
IN JANUARY 2026,
SIBERIA AND PARTS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST ARE EXPERIENCING EXTREME WINTER
WEATHER, CHARACTERIZED BY INTENSE COLD AND RECORD-SETTING
SNOWFALL DESCRIBED BY LOCAL MEDIA AS A "SNOW APOCALYPSE".
Key Weather
Conditions in January 2026:
·Extreme Cold
(Siberia): Temperatures in Siberia dropped to -40°C (-40°F) in cities like
Krasnoyarsk, with suburban areas reaching -50°C (-58°F). In Yakutia,
temperatures were recorded as low as -58°C (-72°F) with wind chill, which was
noted as the lowest temperature on Earth at the time.
·Unprecedented
Snowfall (Kamchatka): The Kamchatka Peninsula has been buried under
massive snowfall, with over 2 meters (7 feet) falling in the first two weeks of
January, on top of 3.7 meters in December. This has resulted in snow depths of
about five and a half feet in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as of mid-January.
·Wind and
Storms: The region has faced regular new snowfall, with wind speeds of 40
to 50 km/h (25-31 mph) causing snow drifts.
·Atmospheric
Conditions: The extreme weather is associated with a "stretched"
polar vortex, causing intense cold across northern Asia and Russia.
This, for some
areas, marks one of the coldest and snowiest periods in decades, with
Krasnoyarsk experiencing its coldest January in 20 years. The Far East,
specifically Kamchatka, is seeing snowfall levels not recorded since the
1970s.
ATTACHMENT
THIRTY ONE – FROMNEW
YORK TIMES
THE
UKRAINE WAR USED TO SLOW DOWN IN WINTERTIME. NOW IT DOESN’T. WHY?
In late January
2026, a major polar vortex disruption is causing a significant southward shift
of Arctic air, leading to extreme cold across the central/eastern U.S. and
parts of Siberia. A "cold continent" pattern is locked in, with cold
pools over North America and Eurasia.
·Siberia-to-USA
Connection: A split in the polar vortex has allowed frigid air to
transport from Siberia and the Canadian Arctic directly into the United States,
with two major waves of cold occurring in late January.
·USA
Impact: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Global
Forecasting System showed the vortex shifting south of the jet stream, causing
severe winter storms, snow, and ice. Subzero temperatures are impacting the
Midwest, Great Lakes, and Tennessee.
·Siberia
Impact: Significant cold outbreaks are also affecting Siberia and the
Caucasus region as the vortex splits, creating a "cold pool" over
Eurasia.
·Duration: This
pattern is expected to cause a "long-duration" period of extreme
cold, with potential for further, even colder conditions into February.
·Map
Visualization: Maps for late January 2026 show a "disrupted"
pattern where the jet stream enables cold air to plunge from the North Pole,
splitting into two "legs" that affect both North America and
Europe/Asia.
The event is
characterized as a "polar vortex reloaded," with severe,
long-duration cold weather.
·Homelessness appears to have fallen in the last
year of the Biden administration, an analysis of local data shows.
ATTACHMENT
THIRTY THREE – FROMNY POST
STORMS
BLAST PARTS OF RUSSIA AFTER 6-FOOT SNOW BURIES COUNTRY’S FAR EAST, STRANDING
AIR TRAVELERS
By ReutersPublished Jan.
20, 2026, 7:17 p.m. ET
Russia’s Far East was
buried under meters of snow by its heaviest snowfall in 60 years on Tuesday as
a winter blast swept across Asia, dusting Shanghai white and grounding
flights in Japan’s northwest.
The
cold snap disrupted transport across the region, closing roads in China,
stranding air travelers in Japan and leaving parts of Russia’s Far East
paralyzed.
Scientists
said the weather was related to waves of cool air coming in from the Arctic,
which was simultaneously affecting Eastern Russia and Asia, and a second,
affecting Eastern Europe.
“You’ve
got these two simultaneous bursts of cool air coming down from the Arctic due
to a waviness in the jet stream,” said climate scientist Theodore Keeping,
referring to air currents in the upper atmosphere which define weather
patterns.
“The
Arctic polar vortex, which is this massive cold air which circulates the Arctic
is relatively weak right now, and what that means it drives the jet stream less
intensely, and that leads to waves of cool air coming down from the Arctic,”
said Keeping, an extreme weather researcher for World Weather Attribution at
London’s Imperial College Centre for Environmental Policy.
Vast
snowdrifts in Russia’s Far East
In
Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, vast snowdrifts several meters
high blocked building entrances and buried cars, after more than 2 meters (6.5
feet) of snow fell in some areas in the first half of January, following 3.7
meters in December, according to weather monitoring stations.
Some
vehicles were almost completely submerged, four-wheel drives struggling for
traction or immobilised entirely, as residents dug
narrow paths through the snow to reach apartment entrances. In the port city of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, locals were filmed walking atop snowbanks beside
traffic lights, with some jumping from the drifts for fun.
“It’s
like a sand dune,” resident and blogger Polina Tuichieva
said of the mammoth snow in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 6,800 km (4,200 miles)
east of Moscow.
RARE
SNOW IN SHANGHAI
The
same system swept south into China, where a wave of low temperatures
brought rare snowfall to the financial hub of Shanghai as authorities
warned the frigid weather could last for at least three days. The
east coast city last experienced heavy snowfall in January 2018.
“It was the first time I have seen such heavy
snowfall in Shanghai,” 23-year-old student Li Meng said.
The
wintry scenes marked a sharp reversal from just a week earlier, when Shanghai
basked in unusually high temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees
Fahrenheit), prompting some osmanthus trees to bloom,
local media reported.
“The
weather seems rather strange this year,” 30-year-old Shanghai resident Yu Xin
said. “Last week, it was still over 20 degrees Celsius, but this week it
dropped below zero and started snowing. In general, the temperature
fluctuations have been quite significant, so some people might feel a bit
uncomfortable.”
Chinese
state media said sharp temperature drops also hit provinces south of the
Yangtze and Huai rivers, including Jiangxi and Guizhou.
In Guizhou, temperatures are expected to fall by 10 to 14 degrees Celsius,
Zhejiang News reported.
Bottom of Form
As
icy conditions spread, authorities shut sections of major roads across 12
provinces — including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang — due to snowfall
and icy roads, state broadcaster CCTV said.
TRAVEL
WARNING IN JAPAN
In
Japan, strong winds and heavy snowfall disrupted travel along its northwestern
coast, grounding dozens of flights and hitting popular ski regions at the
height of winter.
The
Japan Meteorological Agency warned that heavy snow would hit northern and
western regions between January 21 and 25, urging people to avoid non-essential
travel.
ANA
Holdings cancelled 56 flights affecting around 3,900 passengers, while
Japan Airlines scrapped 37 flights affecting 2,213 travelers. Nearly all of
ANA’s cancellations were concentrated at New Chitose Airport near Sapporo in
Hokkaido.
