Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

News

Heat Wave Is Here: City Opens Cooling Centers

Jen Chung

Published Jul 5, 2010

Modified Jul 6, 2010

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Jen Chung

Published Jul 5, 2010

Modified Jul 6, 2010

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

There's a heat advisory for the city today, with temperatures expected to hit 100 degrees. And this week is expected to bring "Baked Apple" conditions. According to the National Weather Service, "A WARM RIDGE ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES WILL KEEP HOT AND INCREASINGLY MORE HUMID CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK." Ugh. The city is opening 100 cooling centers today and 500 more tomorrow; Mayor Bloomberg said, "The threat of heat exhaustion is real, and that's why we've opened these cooling centers." And, after the jump, are suggestions on how to beat the heat from the Office of Emergency Management (stay hydrated!).

From the Office of Emergency Management:

NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE COOLING CENTERS TO OPEN MONDAY

New Yorkers Urged to Take Precautions During Heat Wave

The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) today announced that cooling centers will open Monday, July 5, and will remain open through Thursday, July 8, 2010. According to the National Weather Service, the heat index is expected to exceed 95 degrees during the day time hours through the end of this week.

Cooling centers are public places, such as Department for the Aging (DFTA) senior centers and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and Salvation Army community centers where air conditioning is available. To find the cooling center closest to you, call 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115) or log on to www.nyc.gov/oem.

Heat illness is serious. Prolonged exposure to the heat can be harmful and potentially fatal. The added stress caused by heat can also aggravate heart or lung disease even without symptoms of heat illness. Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you have these symptoms:

Hot, dry skin or cold, clammy skin

Weakness

Dizziness

Nausea or vomiting

Shortness of breath or trouble breathing

Confusion, hallucinations, disorientation

The risk for getting sick during a heat wave is increased for people who:

Are younger than five, or older than 64

Have chronic medical or mental health conditions

Take medications, which can disrupt the regulation of body temperature

Are confined to their beds or unable to leave their homes

Are overweight

If you have a medical condition or take medications, check with your physician about precautions during hot weather. Family, friends, and neighbors who are at high risk will need extra help during this period of extreme heat. Think about how you can help someone you know get to an air-conditioned place.

Ready New York - Beat the Heat Tips:

Use an air conditioner if you have one.

If you do not have an air conditioner, go to a cooler place such as an air-conditioned store, mall, museum or movie theater. Or, visit a cooling center.

Use a fan if the air is not too hot. Fans work best at night to bring in cooler air from outside. Use a fan only when the air conditioner is on or the windows are open.

Drink plenty of water or other fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid beverages containing alcohol, caffeine, or high amounts of sugar.

If possible, stay out of the sun. When you’re in the sun, wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible, wear a hat to protect your face and head, and use sunscreen (at least SPF 15) to protect exposed skin.

Never leave children, pets, or those who require special care in a parked car.

Avoid strenuous activity, or plan it for the coolest part of the day, usually in the morning between 4 AM and 7 AM.

Be careful if you take a cold shower to stay cool - sudden temperature changes can make you feel dizzy or sick.

Spray Caps & Fire Hydrants:

Opening fire hydrants without spray caps is wasteful and dangerous. Illegally opened hydrants can lower water pressure, which can cause problems at hospitals and other medical facilities and hinder fire-fighting by reducing the flow of water to hoses and pumps. The powerful force of an open hydrant without a spray cap can also push children into oncoming traffic. Call 311 to report an open hydrant.

Hydrants can be opened legally if equipped with a City-approved spray cap. One illegally opened hydrant wastes up to 1,000 gallons of water per minute, while a hydrant with a spray cap only puts out around 25 gallons per minute. Spray caps can be obtained by someone 18 or over, free of charge at local firehouses.

Conserve Energy:

During periods of extremely hot and humid weather, electricity use rises, which can cause power disruptions.

Don’t set your air conditioner thermostat lower than 78 degrees.

Use air conditioners only when you’re home, and only in rooms you’re using. If you want to cool your home before you return, set a timer that turns on no more than 30 minutes before you arrive.

Turn off nonessential appliances.

For more information on coping with extreme heat, see the Ready New York: Beat the Heat guide at www.nyc.gov/oem. For more information on the health effects associated with extreme heat visit www.nyc.gov/health.

Tagged

heat advisory

heat wave

july 2010 heat wave

summer

weather

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Brooklyn woman hit and killed by garbage truck at peak time for traffic deaths, NYPD says

At a time of year when traffic deaths rise due to reduced visibility, 30-year-old Siobhan Lynch was struck and killed just after dusk.

Ryan Kost

Published Oct 29, 2026 at 7:54 a.m. ET

NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.

Housing costs are top of mind for many voters across New York.

David Brand

News

NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.

Housing costs are top of mind for many voters across New York.

David Brand

Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway is a haven for reckless driving. Mamdani isn't allowed to fix it.

Stephen Nessen

Man killed in police-involved shooting in Moonachie, NJ

Kaya Laterman

Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days

Charles Lane

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .