Dear New Yorkers, 

It’s HOT in NYC today and a heat advisory is in effect through tomorrow night. As climate change intensifies the heat waves facing New York City, my office took a look at the cooling center infrastructure that the City activates during heat emergencies to identify where the gaps are and how we can better prepare to help New Yorkers beat the heat.

Our new report, Overheated, Underserved, released today found that during the week-long heat wave in late July, more than half of cooling centers were not open on weekends and heat vulnerable neighborhoods like East Flatbush were seriously underserved. Only two open cooling centers were available to the neighborhood’s 162,400 residents!

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities across the country and cooling centers offer vital, life-saving spaces for people to access air conditioning during heat waves. Unfortunately, access to these resources varies greatly by NYC neighborhood. Overheated, Underserved analyzes available cooling center data, including locations, hours of operation, and accessibility, and maps it with existing infrastructure to determine where inequities lie and how they can be addressed.  

NYC has a heat vulnerability index that estimates heat risk based on social and environmental factors of surface temperature, green space, access to home air conditioning, and poverty rates. The neighborhoods facing the greatest cooling center disparities are concentrated in Central Brooklyn, Central Queens, and across the Bronx, while Manhattan and Staten Island have much greater access. Further exacerbating these disparities, the report found that many existing cooling centers remain inaccessible on nights and weekend, and many more are located in senior centers, which do not accommodate children or families. 

To better prepare for this new normal, our report also contains eight recommendations to better prepare our city against climate inequities while keeping New Yorkers cool. 

From hurricanes to heatwaves, our city must be prepared to address the disproportionate impact of climate change. 

To find the cooling center nearest you and other resources to beat the heat, visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/em/html/beat-the-heat/beattheheat.html  

Stay Cool, 

Brad