To help Harlemites continue to beat the heat, the New York City Emergency Management Department today announced that cooling centers will remain open Friday, July 21, 2017.
Cooling centers are air-conditioned facilities such as libraries, community centers, senior centers, and NYCHA facilities that are open to the public during heat emergencies. To find a cooling center, including accessible facilities closest to you, call 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115) or visit the NYC Cooling Center Finder at www.nyc.gov/beattheheat.
High heat and humidity are expected to continue today and Friday, with heat index values in the mid to upper 90s.
Harlemites are encouraged to take the following steps to stay safe and cool:
- A small but crucial gesture can help ensure that we all have a safe and healthy summer. Get to know your neighbors, and contact neighbors and relatives – in person or by phone – at least twice a day during heat waves or extreme heat.
- Pay special attention to vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors such as the elderly, the very young, and anyone with a pre-existing medical condition. New Yorkers should check in on older neighbors who may be isolated from friends and family.
- In New York City, most heat-related deaths occur after exposure to heat in homes without air conditioners. Air conditioning is the best way to stay safe and healthy when it is hot outside, but some vulnerable people do not have an air conditioner or do not turn it on when they need it. Encourage them to use air conditioning. Help them get to an air-conditioned place if they cannot stay cool at home. Make sure they are drinking enough water.
- The Department of Homeless Services has issued a Code Red Alert and has enhanced outreach. Single adults can present to any shelter to seek refuge from the heat. Transportation is also available to cooling centers via DHS outreach teams, which are checking on vulnerable, at-risk clients with greater frequency.
- The Department for the Aging has opened senior centers as cooling centers, and home care agencies are on the lookout for clients who may need assistance. Case management agencies are also calling homebound seniors.
- An excavation safety alert has been issued through 7 a.m. Saturday, July 22. Contractors are strongly encouraged to implement enhanced protective measures before digging.
For more information on coping with the heat, visit: www.nyc.gov/beattheheat
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