The blizzard of 1996 was one of the most severe to ever hit NYC, falling only an inch of snow behind the Great Blizzard of 1888. It dropped 20 inches of snow, had wind gusts of 50 mph and snow drifts up to 8 feet high. A combination of hot and cold air coming from the Gulf of Mexico and Canada allowed this powerful snowstorm to develop; it hit NYC on the morning of January 6 and lasted for 37 hours, dropping on average 2 inches of snow per hour.
Residents were told to stay home and await the passing of the storm; only police, fire department and hospital personnel reported to work. Schools and offices were vacant, Broadway plays were canceled and the New York Stock Exchange closed early in the day.
As the storm became more intense, traffic came to halt and many people were stranded mid-way to their destinations. Airports, bus terminals and highway rest stops were filled with wary and frustrated travelers. By evening, grocery stores looked as empty and foreboding as the ones in post-apocalyptic movies.
In the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, Con Edison reported a power outage for 1500 customers, although services would be restored by following night. Damages from Washington to Boston were estimated at billion dollars and casualties from Kentucky to Connecticut totaled to about a hundred.
The homeless of NYC were the ones who suffered the most. Despite the City’s extensive efforts to relocate the homeless to safety, it was impossible to find adequate shelter for everyone; only 7200 beds were occupied in 39 shelters around NYC.
These fabulous photos were taken by Steven Siegel that captured street scenes of New York during the snowstorm in 1996.
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| Eighth Avenue at 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| 42nd Street, 1996 |
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| FDR Drive at South Street Southport, 1996 |
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| FDR Drive, 1996 |
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| Fifth Avenue and 21st Street, 1996 |
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| New York billboards, 1996 |
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| Ninth Avenue and 40th Street, 1996 |
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| Sixth Avenue and 21st Street, 1996 |
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| Sixth Avenue and 25th Street, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Times Square, 1996 |
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| Wall Street area, 1996 |
