The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory earlier this week which was originally due to be in effect until Wednesday, July 20, at 8 p.m., but NWS has since announced that the period of extreme heat will continue through Sunday, July 24 at 8 p.m. Temperatures of between 95 and 100 degrees were expected on Wednesday in New York City.

Heat index values in the upper 90s to around 100 are expected for New York City through Sunday, at 8 p.m., according to NWS. Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illness, health officials said. Heat indices could be in the lower 100s Thursday and then again on Sunday, according to NWS.

Health officials said, “New York City residents should call 311 to identify cooling center locations and obtain, `Beat the Heat` safety tips. A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time.”

They added, “Seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions are at an increased risk. Homes without air conditioning can be much hotter than outdoor temperatures. Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that has air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors.”

To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Health officials said anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. “Heat stroke is an emergency. In cases of heat stroke, call 911,” they said.

To help New Yorkers beat the heat, cooling centers are open throughout the five boroughs. Cooling center locations may have changed from last year. To find a cooling center, including accessible facilities closest to you, call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115) or visit the City’s Cooling Center Finder. Prevailing COVID regulations apply.

Meanwhile, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Wednesday in advance of temperatures exceeding 90 degrees through Sunday. Cooling centers that will be activated on Thursday at locations throughout the city will include centers on NYCHA property, NYCHA officials said.

“The summer of 2021 set heat wave temperature records across the nation, and the Authority took the lessons from that time to prepare for this event,” said NYCHA chair & CEO Greg Russ.

Meanwhile, NYCHA chief operating officer, Daniel Sherrod, said, “Earlier this year, NYCHA merged the Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Services Department into one department to strengthen our planning and preparedness capabilities for extreme heat and weather events.” Sherrod added, “Additionally, we are currently finalizing an extreme heat annex to systematize our response processes, all in the service of our residents.”

With the activation of the EOC, NYCHA officials said the agency will be able to implement the appropriate emergency response level, provide hazard awareness, and disseminate citywide public messaging. Officials said to protect, maintain, and reduce hazards to critical infrastructure, scheduled maintenance outages for electrical, water, and elevator service will be suspended. Additionally, they said water stations are operational and ready to be deployed, and they added that NYCHA is working to ensure that the appropriate personnel are available to manage incidents at its developments.

NYCHA officials said residents are encouraged to monitor the weather forecast for upcoming heat waves, urge vulnerable people and their caregivers to use air conditioning or go to an air-conditioned place, and alert people at risk to talk to their health care providers about staying safe in the heat. They said NYCHA staffers have conducted 515 wellness outreach calls throughout the five boroughs to ensure residents have the appropriate resources to deal with the extreme heat.

They added that residents can also be proactive in caring for their neighbors and family in public housing by checking on them throughout the heat event and making sure that they have plenty of drinking water. “Be sure to be on alert for signs of heat illness and call 911 if a loved one or neighbor shows these signs,” they said.

NYCHA officials added that it has 26 generators on hand as a contingency measure for power outages during heat events. In addition to these generators, they said the agency has also prepped a range of available equipment, including one light tower, a command bus, an emergency response truck, and a non-potable water truck.

According to NYCHA, officials have also trained elevator staff in preparation for possible power outages, and hold ongoing bi-weekly meetings to disseminate Safe NYCHA advisory information. For more information, visit on.nyc.gov/extreme-heat.

During last year’s heatwave, former NYC Emergency Management commissioner, John Scrivani, said that the best ways to beat the heat are to stay cool and hydrated. “Drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day,” he said. “If you don’t have an air conditioner at your home, the city has opened hundreds of cooling centers throughout the five boroughs,” Scrivani added.

In New York City, according to EMS, most heat-related deaths occur after exposure to heat in homes without air conditioners. Officials say air conditioning is the best way to stay safe and healthy when it is hot outside, but some people at risk of heat illness do not have or do not turn on an air conditioner. City officials are urging New Yorkers to take steps to protect themselves and help others who may be at increased risk from the heat. For more information, including heat-related health tips and warning signs of heat illness, visit NYC.gov/health or NYC.gov/beattheheat.

It’s going to be a hot week in NYC. Take steps to stay safe & #beattheheat:

✅Keep cool and hydrated. ✅Find your nearest cooling center: call @nyc311 or visit https://t.co/9PRlDTeUgY  ✅Be a buddy and check on your neighbors. ✅Stay informed and sign up for @NotifyNYC alerts. pic.twitter.com/9MUQVnU3m9

— NYC Emergency Management Commissioner (@NYCEMCommish) July 19, 2022

Last year, former health commissioner, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, said extreme heat can cause serious health risks, and urges New Yorkers to take extra precautions during this heat wave. “Stay in an air-conditioned location, drink fluids, and make sure to check in on your friends and family to help them find relief from the heat,” he said.

Meanwhile, New York City’s outdoor pools re-opened earlier this summer. Bring a bathing suit, towel, and lock to secure belongings. More information on pool opening hours, etc. can be found at nyc.gov/parks/pools.

A citywide map of outdoor cooling options (including spray showers, drinking fountains, and more) can be found online at Cool It! NYC.

During extreme heat, the Department of Social Services (DSS) issues a code red alert. During code reds, shelter is available to anyone experiencing homelessness, where those experiencing heat-related discomfort are also able to access a designated cooling area. Transportation to cooling centers is available via DSS outreach teams who engage with potentially homeless individuals every day of the year and intensify engagement during extreme heat.

NYC will experience extreme heat tomorrow. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has issued a #CodeRed Alert, initiating enhanced outreach efforts. Outreach teams will help DHS clients access cooling centers.

Visit https://t.co/gu0XhQkVxK to find one near you. pic.twitter.com/VY7rBcEOPn

— Homeless Services (@NYCDHS) July 18, 2022

ADDITIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TIPS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THE HEAT

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS OF HEAT ILLNESS 

Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know has:

If you or someone you know feels weak or faint, go to a cool place and drink water. If there is no improvement, call a doctor or 911.

The improper opening of fire hydrants wastes 1,000 gallons of water per minute, causes flooding on city streets, and lowers water pressure to dangerous levels, which hamper the ability of the Fire Department to fight fires safely and quickly.

Use “spray caps” to reduce hydrant output to a safe 25 gallons per minute while still providing relief from the heat. To obtain a spray cap, an adult 18 years or older with proper identification can go to his or her local firehouse and request one.

During periods of intense electrical usage, such as on hot, humid days, it is important to conserve energy as much as possible to avoid brownouts and other electrical disruptions. While diminishing your power usage may seem inconvenient, your cooperation will help to ensure that utility providers are able to provide uninterrupted electrical service to you and your neighbors, particularly those who use electric powered medical equipment or are at risk of heat-related illness and death.

For more information, visit NYC.gov/beattheheat. New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency communications program. To sign up for Notify NYC, download the free mobile application, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, call 311, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

Like this story? Leave your comments below.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

View current print edition >>

Click here for PDF downloads of recent editions. Click here for all recent print edition stories.

In 2020, in acknowledgement of the diverse composition of the local communities the Norwood News serves, we updated our website, www.norwoodnews.org, to allow users to read our site in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, Chinese and French, using a Google Translate function.

Readers can translate the site from English into each of these languages by selecting the relevant language from the drop-down menu located in the top, right-hand corner of the home page.

As a nonprofit news organization, with limited resources, we decided to include this translation function on our site to help you, our community of readers, access local news in a way that we hope is more accessible.

We wish to highlight, however, that translation of the site into languages other than English is intended solely as a convenience to the non-English-reading community or to those residents with limited English proficiency, and that the translation is not legally binding.

The Google Translate function is based on artificial intelligence. As such, there is no human intervention, checking the accuracy of the translation. From a legal standpoint, the English language version of the site will always take precedence.

Thank you for your understanding, and for visiting our news site.