Winter Storm Fern has left New York City reeling, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani is catching heat from his own ideological camp.

After the storm struck last week, persistent power outages, mounting trash piles, and a tragic death toll of 16 New Yorkers have plagued the city, with Mamdani's administration struggling to respond. Issues range from hypothermia deaths to delayed sanitation services, while emergency responders battle snow-blocked streets near hospitals.

The backlash from fellow progressives signals growing frustration with Mamdani's handling of this crisis. Critics within his Democratic Socialists of America circle argue that the administration's slow coordination has left vulnerable residents in the cold, literally and figuratively.

Allies Turn Up the Heat on Mamdani

City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, a fellow DSA member from Brooklyn, took to X to plead for urgent action as nearly 2,000 Park Slope residents endured a second day without power or heat, as reported by the New York Post. She demanded better communication from City Hall, pointing to chaotic streets near Barclays Center where traffic lights remain dark.

Similarly, DSA Councilman Chi Ossé pressed Mamdani to secure hotel shelters for Bedford-Stuyvesant residents left without electricity for nearly a week. The desperation in these public calls paints a grim picture of a mayor out of step with even his closest allies.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also broke ranks, challenging Mamdani's refusal to clear homeless encampments during the bitter freeze. It's a rare fracture among progressives, showing that ideology can't shield a leader from accountability when lives are at stake.

Death Toll and Policy Missteps

The mayor announced a death toll of 16 during a press conference, with 13 attributed to hypothermia and three to overdoses. He insisted, "From information available now, it appears that none of the individuals who have died outside were living in homeless encampments at the time of their death," while labeling past encampment clearances a failure.

Yet, this stance feels tone-deaf when 930 shelter placements and 18 involuntary transports for safety reasons suggest a deeper crisis. If the old policy failed, what's the new plan to prevent more tragedy?

The cold, hard truth is that Mamdani's confidence, as he declared, "The cold is showing no signs of stopping, so neither will the city's efforts," rings hollow against a backdrop of unresolved chaos. New Yorkers aren't looking for pep talks; they need heat and clear streets.

Trash and Snow Bury City Services

Beyond the human toll, the city's physical state remains a mess, with towering garbage piles and rock-hard snow banks blocking roads. Sanitation workers, stretched thin by snow removal, lag 24 hours behind on trash collection, leaving mounds like the 8-foot pile near Gracie Mansion to fester.

Emergency medical teams have sounded alarms over snow piles near hospitals, making it nearly impossible to move stretchers or assist patients with mobility needs. It's a logistical nightmare that compounds the suffering of an already battered city.

Residents like Xavier Fernandez, a building manager on East End Avenue, vent frustration over missed pickups, noting that sanitation only grabs recycling while trash continues to stack up. When basic services crumble, public trust erodes just as fast.

Power Outages Spark Public Fury

In Park Slope, resident Tatyana Gudin, huddled in an MTA warming bus, unleashed her anger at Con Edison after days without power, saying, "Stop, stop, stop giving excuses, and do better." Her words echo a citywide sentiment as outages persist due to salt and snow damaging underground systems.

Con Edison claims compacted ice and parked cars over manholes slow repairs, but that explanation offers little comfort to those sleeping under piles of blankets. Councilwoman Hanif's push for reimbursement of costs like travel and lodging highlights how far the burden has shifted onto residents.

Mamdani's administration insists it's coordinating with Con Edison, but the gap between promises and results grows wider with each freezing night. If this is the first test of his leadership, the grade so far isn't one to frame on the wall at City Hall.