According to a forecast published by The Weather Channel, New York residents can expect an “abnormally hot summer in 2024.” In fact, long-term models indicate that it could be one of the most suffocating periods recorded in recent decades.
So, with the official summer season just around the corner and as New Yorkers experience more extreme weather events, city officials announced measures Thursday to address extreme heat, potential hurricanes and quality concerns. from air.
“This puts us in the crosshairs of climate change, but we are getting ahead of ourselves: with more cooling centers, free air conditioners and cooling kits for New Yorkers. We are also planting trees and investing in infrastructure improvements to manage these changes. We will not leave a single tool on the table to keep New Yorkers safe,” announced Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.
Each summer, an estimated 350 New Yorkers die prematurely due to heat and more Americans die from the effects of high temperatures in one year than all other natural disasters combined.
Elderly care
The New York City Department of Aging (NYC Aging) is making the centers it coordinates in the five boroughs available to convert them into cooling places, when necessary.
Those most vulnerable to heat stress include adults, those over 60 years of age, and people with health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, or people with cognitive disabilities.
In this sense, both family members and neighbors are invited to keep an eye on people who are at risk and help them find a place to stay during heat events.
New guide
This year the New York City Office of Emergency Management (NYCEM) published ‘Beat the Heat’, an instructional guide for residents of the Big Apple to cope with the extreme heat in the months to come.
During these emergencies, due to sweltering temperatures, an extensive network of cooling centers will be activated to provide refrigerated indoor spaces as a respite from dangerous weather conditions.
To make it even easier for residents to find these refreshing centers, the city will publish the ‘Map of Interesting Options’ in various ways, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The newly revamped ‘Hot Options Map’ will be available 24 hours a day, starting next week, and will allow New Yorkers to easily locate cooling centers, as well as find up-to-date language on ‘hot options’, including libraries, shopping centers, and museums that offer air-conditioned spaces to escape the heat.
In the eye, the hurricanes
New York enters hurricane season starting in August, this time, several weeks in advance, NYCEM also urges residents to make a plan, stay informed and know their evacuation zones.
Residents of all five boroughs can find out which evacuation zone they live in by visiting NYCEM’s hurricane website or calling 311. Additional safety tips are also available online.
“Climate change is driving our summer temperatures higher and making our storms more dangerous, which means we need all New Yorkers to be prepared, to stay alert and watch out for their neighbors,” said Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
Air quality
Following last year’s air quality concerns due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, municipal emergency agencies developed updated internal guidance specific to air quality incidents.
NYCEM will be publishing new public alerts in collaboration with local stakeholders and with input from cities like San Francisco. This protocol will improve communication and outreach to vulnerable populations, as well as monitoring and tracking impacts on critical services and infrastructure, such as public transportation and hospitals.
Additional actions may include distributing masks to the public, modifying school operations, and reducing outdoor services and events, depending on contamination levels.
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- To stay informed about the latest weather updates and other emergencies, New Yorkers can sign up for Notify NYC, the city’s free emergency notification system, by calling 311, visiting the Notify NYC website, or downloading the Notify NYC app to sign up. .