BREAKING: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Holds Press Briefing As City Expects Dangerous Heat Wave This Week

3 months ago

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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Transcript

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.

BREAKING: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Holds Press Briefing As City Expects Dangerous Heat Wave This Week

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