NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) holds a press briefing as a major heat wave is projected to hit New York City and the surrounding area this week.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, everyone.
00:02My name is Camille Joseph-Barlack and I serve as chief of staff to the mayor as well as
00:05extreme weather coordinator for New York City.
00:08Our administration is laser focused on protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and
00:14creating a more livable city for working class New Yorkers.
00:17As New York City prepares for a potential extreme heat weather event to impact our area
00:23tomorrow, the Adams administration is bringing together senior leadership to update the public
00:28on what to expect and how to prepare.
00:31For more information, I will turn it over to Mayor Eric Adams.
00:33Thank you.
00:34Thanks so much, Camille, and really thank the team, the entire team is prepared for
00:45what this weather will bring and really want to thank Commissioner Isko and his entire
00:52team and not only our agencies but also Con Edison is here as well to really show the
01:00coordination that's need and the team here at OEM where they are constantly vigilant
01:08on not only looking after these weather emergencies, but as well as just the constant emergencies
01:15that our city could have at any given time.
01:18A few weeks ago, we stood together at the Brooklyn Museum talking about our preparedness
01:28and how we wanted to put pieces in place and to be ready when the weather changes or shifts
01:36and we're now here.
01:38I made it clear that the administration would make sure summer is fun, but with that fun,
01:43there's some real safety issues that we should be prepared for.
01:47The first heat wave of the season is here and we are ready.
01:51We expect the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory for New York City that
01:57will be in effect from Thursday, June 20th through Friday, June 21st.
02:03High heat and humidity are also being forecast over the next few days.
02:09We expect to see temperature in the low 90s on Tuesday and Wednesday.
02:15Open centers will be open starting tomorrow and we expect to hit peak heat on Thursday
02:21and Friday with the heat index possibly reaching 99 degrees.
02:27We want to be clear, this is extremely hot for June and New Yorkers should not underestimate
02:33the heat.
02:35With climate change leading to more frequent and intense heat, summers are different than
02:41they were before and so we should expect and be prepared for the hot weather that is
02:46coming.
02:47This is an indication we're just starting out the summer months.
02:52We can only expect even more as the summer continues to move forward.
02:57That is why it's important to get into good habits now and while we're coming together
03:02early to give information that will help everyday New Yorkers.
03:07We saw the threat of extreme heat just last week, what happened in Mexico, breaking heat
03:13records in Phoenix and Las Vegas, breaking temperature records and we see some of the
03:18fires that are taking place in California now.
03:22A heat wave can be more than just uncomfortable, it can be deadly and life threatening if you
03:28are not prepared.
03:29But New York City has a plan to beat the heat and we want all New Yorkers to have a plan
03:34too.
03:35We have expanded the number of cooling centers earlier and that are available this year and
03:41they will be open starting tomorrow for New Yorkers to keep cool.
03:47We're joined here also by the Commissioner Cortez Vasquez from Department of Aging and
03:54her team is doing everything possible to make sure our seniors are aware of where the cooling
04:01centers are located.
04:02We also want to remind New Yorkers there are specifically pet friendly cooling centers
04:08in every borough.
04:10Beaches will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
04:14As a reminder, public pools are not open yet.
04:19Commissioner Sudani who and her team is going to do everything possible to make sure our
04:25parks, our recreational facility, our beaches and our pools when they're open are available
04:30to the public.
04:31New Yorkers can find additional ways to stay cool online with cool options mapped at finder.nyc.gov
04:40forward slash cooling centers or by calling 311.
04:45And as I made clear last week, having a working air conditioner in your home is one of the
04:50most effective ways to guard against heat emergencies and we want you to monitor for
04:56blackouts.
04:57New Yorkers should know that we are in constant communication with our utility partners including
05:03Carter Edison and PSEG on Long Island and we will be monitoring the electric system.
05:11But the system can't be stressed when temperatures are high and everyone is using their air conditioner
05:17so we want to be extremely conscious of that.
05:21Please also make sure to check in on your neighbors.
05:24We all know who's around us who have either breathing conditions, air quality conditions
05:32or if there are seniors who are living alone, please let's be good New Yorkers and ensure
05:38that we give them the support that they need.
05:41And if you must go outside, take breaks, utilize whatever area that you could have for shade,
05:48shades, wear a hat, do whatever is possible to keep your body temperature down.
05:53And we all urge New Yorkers to plan ahead.
05:57It is crucial that you plan ahead and make sure everyone is safe including your pets.
06:02As I said a few weeks ago, we want New Yorkers working outside to stay cool so we will be
06:08distributing thousands of these cool kits to delivery workers and outdoor laborers working
06:14under the summer sun and as well as promoting safety for all outdoor workers.
06:20We will continue to monitor and communicate with the National Weather Service.
06:26Extreme heat is not our only concern.
06:30We saw what happened with the Canadian fires.
06:34We want to make sure that the air quality is also monitored.
06:39Last year we saw how quickly dangerous wildfire smoke could blanket our city even from fires
06:45thousands of miles away.
06:48Air quality conditions in New York City may be unhealthy for some people over the next
06:52few days, so please be conscious of that if you're dealing with any respiratory issues.
06:58People with heart or breathing problems and older adults may be more sensitive to air
07:02quality conditions and should consider limited, prolonged, or intense outdoor activities.
07:09New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up, we say over and over again, sign up for NotifyNYC,
07:15the city's free emergency notification, and it will keep everyone up to date.
07:20NotifyNYC is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language.
07:26You can also visit airnow.gov, that's A-I-R-N-O-W dot gov, for up-to-date information on air
07:35quality in your area.
07:36Our administration is clear, public safety is the center of everything we do, and making
07:43sure New Yorkers are safe is part of these announcements.
07:47That includes preparing for weather emergency and protecting people outdoors.
07:52And so, again, I want to turn it over to Commissioner Isko and thank him and his team for a job
07:58well done.
08:03Thank you, sir.
08:06And thank you to the team here today at Emergency Management and from the administration for
08:10all their work going into this and all of our partners like ConEd.
08:13According to the National Weather Service, the heat advisories that are currently in
08:17effect in the surrounding region will likely be extended into New York City later this
08:23week.
08:24We are in the path of extreme heat, bringing along potential health risks in the forthcoming
08:28days.
08:29We're looking at heat indexes that could reach close to 100 degrees in the region.
08:34These numbers are dangerously high.
08:36The cumulative effect of prolonged heat can be especially dangerous as the body's ability
08:41to regulate temperature becomes increasingly strained.
08:43In fact, extreme heat is the most dangerous weather phenomenon we have in New York City.
08:49We lose over 350 New Yorkers a year on average to heat.
08:55Because of this administration's number one priority mission of protecting public safety
08:59and making our city livable for all, throughout the year, and especially the past few days,
09:04we have been working to safeguard our most vulnerable residents from the dangers of heat,
09:08and we will continue to do so.
09:10We've said it over and over again that heat is a silent killer, and it poses a significant
09:15threat especially to our most vulnerable residents, adults ages 60 and older, young children,
09:21those with pre-existing health conditions like health disease, diabetes, mental health
09:25conditions, or cognitive impairment.
09:29As a city known for our resilience, we stand ready to face this challenge.
09:34NISM in our coordination role has been working diligently to ensure we have the necessary
09:39resources to respond promptly to any potential heat-related incidents or emergencies.
09:45Later this morning at 1100, we'll be activating the city's heat emergency plan.
09:50This has three key objectives.
09:53Number one, providing hazard awareness and public messaging.
09:56Number two is minimizing impacts to public health.
09:59And number three, minimizing impacts to infrastructure.
10:03We are actively working alongside our city agencies and partners to guarantee a unified
10:08and effective response.
10:10This includes the Department of the Aging, which will be opening up senior centers to
10:14act as cooling centers.
10:15FDNY is monitoring call volume and is making spray caps for fire hydrants available to
10:21anyone 18 and up with proper identification.
10:24You can request them from a firehouse.
10:26Parks is keeping beaches open and safe and making available options for water features
10:30like spray showers, drinking fountains, and shade trees and canopies through their coolant
10:34map also available on nyc.gov beat the heat.
10:38DCAS is making sure city workers are safe and city buildings are prepared for any operational
10:42or power disruptions.
10:44NYPD and Department of Homeless Services are coordinating on homeless outreach.
10:49DEP is monitoring water usage and water pressure complaints and hydrant use.
10:54We may issue an excavation safety alert later this morning or as we as this heat wave progress
11:00to ensure our infrastructure remains protected and safe.
11:04We're coordinating very closely with Dr. Bassan and his team, health and hospitals,
11:08the Greater New York Hospital Association, New York State Department of Health to contact
11:13critical health care facilities, monitor EMS call volume and response times, and assess
11:18status of facilities.
11:21As part of our heat emergency plan, our network of 700 certain volunteers and 37 strengthening
11:26community nonprofit partners are amplifying our emergency notifications to reach communities
11:31such as immigrants, non-English speakers, older adults, and people with disabilities.
11:36We are also working with City Meals on Wheels, Staten Island, God Loves We Deliver, and the
11:40Food Bank of New York City to distribute heat safety information to vulnerable populations.
11:46In New York City, most heat-related deaths occur within homes lacking air conditions,
11:51often due to limited access or financial constraint.
11:54This vulnerability disproportionately is experienced by black New Yorkers who are twice as likely
11:59as white New Yorkers to succumb to heat-exacerbated mortality.
12:04So while it will be relentlessly hot all day, the peak intensity is forecasted to occur
12:09between noon and 8 p.m. each day.
12:12Heat is expected to remain persistently high even at night.
12:16That means that there will be little relief at night as the temperatures maybe get down
12:21to the 70s.
12:23This week and any time there's high heat, we need everyone to take individual preparedness
12:26actions in the form of cool options, which are a wide range of accessible locations and
12:31actions for New Yorkers to find relief during hot weather.
12:35Cool options include familiar places like libraries, community centers, malls, pools,
12:39and museums.
12:40They also include the homes of your family, friends, or neighbors.
12:44In addition to cooling centers, which are the air-conditioned sites open during heat
12:48emergencies that we operate to provide New Yorkers with relief from the heat, this year
12:53we're also partnering with local businesses, elected officials, and organizations to expand
12:58our network of cooling centers.
13:00And I want to assure New Yorkers that beginning tomorrow through at least Friday, cooling
13:04centers will be operational citywide.
13:07You can access a map of cooling centers along with other heat tips at nyc.gov backslash
13:13beat the heat.
13:14That's nyc.gov backslash beat the heat, or by calling 311.
13:19And as the mayor has mentioned, it's really important to prioritize your well-being during
13:24this heat wave, particularly when it comes to hydrating yourself, seeking shade, air-conditioned
13:28places, or relief whenever you can.
13:31That's also critical to mention.
13:34We all need to adopt a balanced approach to energy use.
13:37NYSEM and ConEd are working in close coordination to monitor the city's energy supply, working
13:42to avoid disruptions or outages that could adversely affect everyone's well-being.
13:47Matt Ketschke, president of ConEd, is here with us today.
13:51And although air conditioning is an important tool in this heat that can be life-saving,
13:55it does not need to be operating at maximum capacity.
13:58We encourage New Yorkers to set it to a low cool to stay comfortable and safe while saving
14:03electricity costs and reducing load on the grid.
14:07If possible, postpone non-essential energy consumption activities this week, such as
14:11doing laundry, using other utilities that take a lot of energy, especially on Thursday
14:19and Friday, or reserve these actions for at night and not during peak heat hours.
14:25And then finally, most importantly, please check in on your neighbors, especially older
14:29adults, those with medical conditions.
14:32We have activated our advanced warning system.
14:33This is designed to alert organizations that assist individuals with disabilities and access
14:39and functional needs.
14:40About impending emergencies, if you receive services, please reach out to your provider
14:45to find out any important information on how they are responding to this event.
14:50And finally, one of our city's most important tools is public messaging.
14:54I would not be the New York City's Emergency Management Commissioner if I did not encourage
14:58everyone to sign up for NotifyNYC.
15:01As the mayor said, it's available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language.
15:05You can sign up by going to nyc.gov backslash notify, by calling 311, or by downloading
15:11the app.
15:12Thank you so much.
15:13Thank you, Commissioner Iskal.
15:17During extreme heat events, the health and safety of New York City residents, of course,
15:21is top priority, as we've already noted.
15:23It's now my pleasure to introduce Dr. Ashwin Vasant, Commissioner of the New York City
15:27Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
15:33Good morning.
15:34It's an honor to be here to share some health and safety tips during this impending heat
15:39wave.
15:40As I said last year, and I'll say again because it bears repeating, the effects of
15:45climate change become more real to us every single day.
15:49While very hot days are, of course, normal, the number and the duration of these hot days
15:54we are seeing each and every year is not.
15:58The risk to our planet presents risks to our health.
16:03And heat is, of course, the deadliest of all extreme weather events here in New York
16:07City and across the United States.
16:10In short, I encourage all New Yorkers to take this weather seriously for yourself as well
16:16as for those in your life.
16:19If at all possible, stay in a cool, air-conditioned place.
16:24A fan is not enough.
16:27If you have air conditioning, as you heard, setting it at low cool or 78 degrees will
16:32both help keep you safe and cool and help keep your energy bills in check as well as
16:37protecting our grid for everyone else.
16:41If you do not have air conditioning, find a cool option nearby that has air conditioning,
16:46as you've just heard from Commissioner Iskal and others about how to find air-conditioned
16:51spaces that can reduce heat strain on the body.
16:54Call 311 or visit the cooling center website to find out where cooling centers are located
17:01and when they are open.
17:03But if there are other options, like a friend's place, a mall, a museum, a coffee shop, a
17:08library, a cooling center, be careful.
17:11There are other options to stay cool.
17:13Be careful when returning home from those cooler options if it is still hot indoors.
17:18Continue to seek out cool spaces throughout the day as long as it remains hot and for
17:23a few days after if your home is still hot.
17:27That's an important message.
17:29It's not just about what the temperature is at any given moment.
17:32It's about the residual heat that lasts throughout the night and into the successive days, even
17:37after the heat wave is declared over.
17:40New Yorkers should also be very aware of signs of heat-related illness on the body.
17:47Heat stroke occurs when the body's temperature rises quickly and can rapidly lead to death.
17:53Call 911 if you or someone you know displays the following signs.
17:58Hot, dry skin or cold, clammy skin.
18:01And I want to be clear here.
18:03Hot, dry skin usually comes first when the body's trying to hold on to whatever hydration
18:11it has.
18:12And then cool, clammy skin happens next when your body is totally, all the blood vessels
18:16have shut down and it's holding on to essential functions.
18:21Confusion or disorientation.
18:23Nausea and vomiting.
18:26Any trouble breathing.
18:28Rapid heartbeat.
18:30Weakness or dizziness.
18:32And I'm going to try to keep this as simple by just reiterating a few simple points.
18:35Check on your neighbors, family, friends, especially older adults, seniors, and those
18:41with chronic physical and mental health conditions, and people who live alone.
18:45That's an important point.
18:46People who live alone, even if they don't have those other conditions, if they don't
18:52have access to air conditioning, are at higher risk of heat-related complications.
18:58Make sure they are staying cool and can get to a place with air conditioning and are drinking
19:02plenty of water.
19:03Staying in a cool place may be the best way to stay safe, but it isn't the only way.
19:08Drinking plenty of water and avoiding drinks containing alcohol and caffeine.
19:13And when I talk about water consumption, it's important to stay ahead of it.
19:17Do not wait until you feel thirsty.
19:20That is a sign that you're already dehydrated.
19:23Do not wait in this kind of temperature.
19:25Keep ahead of it.
19:26Keep a consistent water intake.
19:28Take things slow.
19:30During a heat emergency, reduce, eliminate, or even reschedule strenuous outdoor activities
19:35if you can.
19:36And when you are outside, or if you have to be outside, limit activity, find shade, and
19:41dress for the heat.
19:43If you normally exercise outdoors, avoid the hottest part of the day and do it early in
19:48the morning or late in the evening.
19:51For those without air conditioning, a cool bath or shower can help, but is not a replacement
19:57for staying cool and getting to a cooling center or another cool location.
20:02Please avoid a sudden plunge into icy cold water, which can be a shock to your system
20:08and make you feel dizzy and sick, particularly if you're already dehydrated.
20:11It's better to start with tepid or lukewarm water and then cool it down safely and more
20:17slowly.
20:18Also, keeping your shades drawn is important to help keep indoor temperatures down.
20:24For older adults specifically, these messages are especially important for you.
20:29Please ensure you're listening to your body and paying close attention to how you feel.
20:34Staying hydrated and cool is especially important.
20:36So drinking water, again, even if you're not thirsty, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol
20:41is paramount.
20:43Frequent cool showers are advisable if you do not have air conditioning.
20:47We can expect to have a number of very hot days this summer.
20:51Keeping these tips handy and paying attention to how you're feeling is essential.
20:56The guidance from your body is the most important guidance we have.
21:00Listen to what it's telling you.
21:01Thank you so much.
21:02Thank you.
21:03Thank you, Commissioner.
21:04Next, it is my pleasure to introduce Alexander Silver, the Director of the Mayor's Office
21:16of Animal Welfare, who is a true leader in ensuring the well-being and safety of our
21:19cities for our Likert friends, as well as our friend Hugo.
21:27Thank you.
21:29I'm Alex.
21:30This is Hugo.
21:31Hugo is from the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, and he's available for adoption.
21:37I'm thrilled that we are thinking of all New Yorkers when we talk about the threats of
21:42heat.
21:43We're including our animal companions.
21:46Many of us in New York have companion animals.
21:50If you don't, I encourage you to adopt or foster.
21:54But a lot of the guidance that we talked about for humans, a lot of it applies to animals.
21:59We want to make sure that our companion animals have access to fresh, clean water so that
22:04they stay hydrated just like we need to.
22:07They also, as Commissioner Vasan said, should be staying in cool areas.
22:13Really don't want to overexert them.
22:15When you walk your dog, you want to do it in the cooler parts of the day for both yours
22:18and your pet's safety.
22:20So the early morning hours, the later evening hours.
22:23When you are outside, be very aware of the asphalt, because it can heat very quickly
22:27and heat up paw pads, which are very sensitive, of course.
22:31And we never want to leave an animal in a car.
22:34Even if it's for a few minutes, even if it's with the windows cracked, temperatures can
22:37rise very quickly.
22:39So I just want to remind everyone, please be cognizant of that.
22:43And again, just like with humans, we want to be aware of signs of heat stroke or overheating
22:47in our animals.
22:48So these include, but are not limited to, excessive panting, drooling, weakness.
22:55We want to be on the lookout for all of those things.
22:58And as has been mentioned as well, there are pet-friendly cooling centers in New York.
23:02So if you need access, you can access a pet-friendly cooling center.
23:07Thank you.
23:13And to tell us a little bit about their preparedness, I'd like to ask the president of Cot Ed,
23:20Matt Kaczke, to come up.
23:22Good morning.
23:24Thank you.
23:27As the mayor and Commissioner Isakow will indicate in their remarks, we're in for some
23:30hot weather, and that hot weather does tend to put stress on the electric delivery system.
23:35The energy delivery systems for New York are extraordinarily reliable.
23:38It's 10 times more reliable than most of the rest of the country.
23:42That being said, we tend to experience an uptick in activity when we get hot weather.
23:46We are anticipating that.
23:48We have brought extra crews and staffing in in anticipation of hot weather to be able
23:51to respond to any issues that we have over the next several days.
23:55We also have our emergency response center open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through
24:00the duration of this event, and we will be in close contact with the New York City Emergency
24:03Management Office for any issues that arise.
24:07The one thing I would ask is that if a customer does experience an electric outage, please
24:12contact us by calling either 1-875-CON-ED or online at www.coned.com.
24:20If you report that outage, we can send you text updates for the estimated restoration
24:25time and how long you expect to be out as our crews respond.
24:28Thank you.
24:29I want to talk about New York City public schools.
24:30This is always an issue.
24:31In the heat, do we see maybe canceled recesses?
24:32Are there going to be extra efforts made for school kids as well?
24:54Great question.
24:55As much as we need to check in on our older New Yorkers, we are really focused on making
25:00sure that our kids are safe during this heat wave, so we're doing a number of things.
25:05You're right that one of the things that our principals do is make sure that during recess
25:10our children are safe, and that means maybe limiting the amount of time that kids are
25:15outside depending on the conditions, changing the activities that they're doing so they
25:20may not be doing activities that require as much exertion, playing in the shade, etc.
25:26They will make that call.
25:27Schools will make that call on a school-by-school basis.
25:30We are also making sure our custodial crews are out early.
25:34As you know, schools are closed today for the Eid holiday.
25:37They will be closed Wednesday for Juneteenth, but will be open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
25:43Our crews are going to be out there very early in the morning to cool our schools.
25:48All of our schools have air conditioning in instructional spaces.
25:52Many in an increasing number have air conditioning in the common spaces, meaning the auditoriums
25:57and the gyms, and so our custodial crews will be out there very early cooling those buildings
26:02before the children get there, so by the time the children get into school, they will be
26:08in a cool place, certainly in their classrooms they will be cool.
26:12So this is something we're monitoring.
26:14We put guidance out already to our principals about these procedures, including the health
26:20risks and the signs of health issues that Dr. Vassan talked about.
26:24We will reissue that again this week and make sure that we're keeping all of our children
26:29and our staff members safe.
26:30Any other on-topic questions?
26:32Hi, yes, my question is, when it comes to priority and responding to electrical outages,
26:38are there going to be more crews during the hottest part of the day, during the nighttime,
26:44so that the response time is more efficient?
26:48So, during these type of events, we spread our crews both on days and nights.
26:54Typically electric loads and then the possibility of having outages are higher in commercial
26:59districts during the day, and then if you move to residential areas, the electrical
27:02strain kind of shifts to the residential areas and the off hours.
27:05So we staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week through these events, with kind of even staffing
27:10through the overall period so that we can get a response.
27:13And on top of any upgrades or investments to the grid to make it more sustainable, resilient?
27:22So overall, through the course of this year, we've invested about $2 billion in energy
27:26infrastructure upgrades for New York City and West Chester County to both harden our
27:30systems, prepare for increasing overall demand, and to also prepare for other types of weather
27:35events like overhead storms, flooding.
27:38Yes, to the mayor.
27:41Mayor, what reassurances have you been given and how much confidence do you have that the
27:47city's power grid will hold up this week with no disruptions?
27:51Over and over again, we have witnessed how well Con Edison has responded to these extreme
27:59weather patterns, and they're well, you know, just well trained for this moment.
28:06And they don't start when we have a heat advisory, but they're preparing for this all the time.
28:12I visited a couple of their plants and sites.
28:15We should be really pleased on how well our infrastructure responds to these weather emergencies.
28:21And you know, things happen when you're dealing with an overuse and overconsumption of power.
28:27They immediately respond to coordination.
28:29That's why the entire team is here, because it's a team effort.
28:32It's not only on one entity.
28:34The entire team must respond accordingly, and I have a lot of confidence in Con Edison
28:39and how we respond after.
28:41Okay.
28:42Okay.