Case Studies
Municipalities Across New York State Respond as Extreme Heat Threatens Lives
Reducing exposure to heat and increasing access to cool indoor spaces is an important health intervention. However, many New Yorkers lack choice in their personal exposure, and many also lack access to cooling.
Climate projections show increased temperatures in New York State’s future, including increases in average annual temperatures and seasonal temperatures, a greater number of extreme heat days and nights, and more frequent and longer duration heat waves.1
Health risks from rising heat include increased mortality, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and impaired work and learning. The most effective risk reduction strategies are exposure reduction through moderated work and play hours and access to cooling in built environments. Access to air conditioning, and the ability to pay for energy for air conditioning, are key to protecting health in the near term. However, these solutions must be balanced against the risks of power outages and other aspects of energy insecurity that inequitably distribute risks in New York communities.
Highlights
- The State of New York (via its forthcoming Heat Action Plan) and local governments have developed cross-cutting solutions to reduce heat risks, but there is still work to be done.
- Different populations require different types of interventions as well as differing ways of monitoring and evaluating efficacy.
Heat Health Risks
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is promoting awareness of heat health risks with the 2022 release of www.heat.gov, a national resource with daily exposure ratings (see figure below). As part of NOAA’s nationwide HeatWatch program,2 several New York City boroughs participated in a community science exercise to capture data on heat and humidity. Results showed greater heat exposure in historically overburdened communities. This aligns with city reporting on the racial disparities of heat impacts.3 As part of this overall effort, NOAA now emphasizes One Health, a whole-systems approach to understanding extreme heat risks and associated ecological dependencies. One Health acknowledges the interrelationships of species and collective well-being,4 and addresses extreme conditions (heat, drought, and severe weather). In the context of New York State and extreme heat, these interrelationships relate to issues as specific as an individual’s exposure to extreme temperatures and as broad as increases in harmful algal blooms in recreational waters that could expose New Yorkers to health risks.
New Yorkers’ coping strategies include seeking outdoor respite areas (e.g., shade in parks) and seeking cooling shelters or public spaces that offer cooling, such as libraries.5 However, many residents lack access to cooling and struggle physically and mentally with heat exposure during the most extreme heat days. Moreover, many who work outdoors, such as farm workers, may lack the option to seek cool shelter due to job demands.
Current Climate Impacts
Extreme heat already affects New York. New York City reports annually on heat related mortalities, recognizing that communities of color suffer more.7 The number of days above 90°F and 95°F is expected to increase across New York State, with multiday heat waves expected to occur more frequently across New York State in the decades ahead.
Increasing average temperatures, extreme heat days (and nights), and frequency of heat waves (multiple days of elevated temperatures) all have an impact on rural areas, small towns, and cities. Combined with humidity, these temperatures introduce even greater risks. Without interventions, a parallel increase in heat-related illness or death could occur. As extreme heat combines with increases in precipitation, evidence predicts a rise in vector-borne illness.8
Higher demand for power during periods of extreme heat creates added stress for overtaxed electric grids.9 Risks associated with grid failure because of preemptive power shutdowns or blackouts introduce energy insecurity to households. Under the state’s Peaker Plant rule, some natural gas plants will close in the near future, putting further strain on the electric grid.9 Climate projections show that temperature will rise in the future, which will strain existing systems that already struggle at temperatures as low as the mid-90s.10
Amplifiers
Urban heat islands or microclimates of excessive heat amplify and exacerbate extreme heat effects. Built environments amplify heat during the day and radiate heat back into the environment, heightening nighttime temperatures and contributing to higher heat risk, independently of climate. Moreover, these areas often have historic policies such as redlining, where decades of disinvestment produced limited tree canopy and limited park spaces—both of which would otherwise ameliorate heat.11
Across the state, households with limited incomes frequently have limited access to air conditioning due to the cost of equipment and energy bills. While the state maintains a database of cooling centers, public cooling shelters are not a solution for all residents, as some feel less safe in public spaces due to COVID-19 or localized crime. Still others lack the transportation necessary to seek such shelters.12
Those exposed to heat due to outdoor work requirements have little recourse. Those with pre-existing conditions and those at ends of age spectrum are at higher risk.13 Lastly, those with social vulnerabilities inequitably experience extreme heat.14
Heat also affects other systems that indirectly relate to health. For example, rising water temperatures affect sustenance fishing and available stock, which in turn affects health and food security. Rising temperatures introduce harmful algal blooms15 and raise levels of bacteria or biotoxins in shellfish.16
Adaptation in Action
Several heat interventions are underway in New York State. These include development of a statewide Extreme Heat Action Plan17 and local programs such as Cool Neighborhoods NYC18 and Cool It! NYC.19 The Home Energy Assistance Program and other programs improve energy security, although gaps remain around cooling energy assistance, and cost barriers sometimes restrict life-saving use.20 Across the state, health departments now provide advice on how to cope with extreme heat.5 Private health service providers also have access to resources, such as the Extreme Heat Toolkit from Americares.21
Housing authorities such as the New York City Housing Authority have pilot programs targeting heat relief.22 Other activities include distribution of air conditioners and fans to those in critical need,23 provision of cooling centers across many municipalities (although not all offer transit to those facilities), rooftop coatings to lower heat gain in multifamily buildings, shade structures at bus stops and in parks to provide temporary respite, increases in tree and other vegetative cover, reduction in paving, and roadway coatings to lower heat gain.
Health departments are tracking heat data, including via the Heat Vulnerability Index, in New York City3 and statewide.24,25 Some local governments are developing policies and resolutions to address heat. However, given the projected changes in temperature in this century, which will nominally change New York State’s weather to resemble that of the southeast United States, there is still work to be done in adapting to extreme heat.
Moving Forward
State HeatWatch: Leveraging NOAA’s national program, cities across the state could replicate HeatWatch to gain better understanding of their local heat exposures and use heat vulnerability indexes to understand heat impacts. This could include running the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Environmental Justice Screening Tool (EJScreen) alongside heat vulnerability analysis, raising awareness of heat alongside inequities that exacerbate heat-related problems.
Heat Ambassadors: Increasing community awareness of heat health risks is an important step in generating mainstream conversations and enacting preventative measures. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ efforts to implement national standards to protect workers from extreme heat is one example of how states are taking action to address heat risk.26 While necessary, implementing standards is still not sufficient. Recognizing that different populations will need different tools to understand heat risks and to cope with near-term heat exposures, as well as to begin the significant process of adapting to New York’s future heat projections, suggests that heat ambassador programs or similar outreach initiatives are required to socialize and normalize heat discussions within New York communities. EPA’s Urban Waters Ambassador program offers a relevant example.
Heat Health Communications Toolkit: New York State can benefit from a heat health communications toolkit similar to the statewide COVID-19 response messaging efforts. Such a toolkit could address future conditions and current challenges, including correcting misinformation about appropriate heat responses. A standardized set of messaging resources could support each community across the state.
For More Information
- State of New York Interim Recommendations on Preparing for Extreme Heat
- Climate Change: Equitable Access to Cooling in New York City Final Report
References
1. Lamie, C., Bader, D., Graziano, K., Horton, R., John, K., O’Hern, N., & Spungin, S. (2024). Chapter 2: New York State’s changing climate. In A. Stevens (Ed.), New York State Climate Impacts Assessment [Interim version for public release].
2. National Integrated Heat Health Information System. (n.d.). Mapping campaigns. HEAT.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.heat.gov/pages/mapping-campaigns
3. City of New York. (n.d.). Interactive heat vulnerability index. Environment & Health Data Portal. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/key-topics/climatehealth/hvi/
4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Program Office. (n.d.). NOAA One Health. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://cpo.noaa.gov/noaa-one-health/
5. New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Extreme heat advice. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/weather/hot/
6. National Integrated Heat Health Information System. (n.d.). HEAT.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://nihhis.cpo.noaa.gov/
7. City of New York. (2023). 2023 NYC heat-related mortality report summary. Environment and Health Data Portal. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/beta/key-topics/climatehealth/heat-report/
8. Institute of Medicine Forum on Microbial Threats. (2008). Vector-borne disease emergence and resurgence. In Vector-borne diseases: Understanding the environmental, human health, and ecological connections: Workshop summary. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52945/
9. Hanley, J. E. (2022, July 20). Heatwave demonstrates weakness of New York’s electric grid. Empire Center for Public Policy. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/heatwave-demonstrates-weakness-of-new-yorks-electric-grid/
10. New York Independent System Operator. (2022). The path to a reliable, greener grid for New York: The New York ISO annual grid & markets report (Power Trends 2022). https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/2223020/2022-Power-Trends-Report.pdf/d1f9eca5-b278-c445-2f3f-edd959611903?t=1654689893527
11. Locke, D. H., Hall, B., Grove, J. M., Pickett, S. T. A., Ogden, L. A., Aoki, C., Boone, C. G., & O’Neil-Dunne, J. P. M. (2021). Residential housing segregation and urban tree canopy in 37 US Cities. Npj Urban Sustainability, 1(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-021-00022-0
12. Widerynski, S., Schramm, P., Conlon, K., Noe, R., Grossman, E., Hawkins, M., Nayak, S., Roach, M., & Hilts, A. S. (2017). The use of cooling centers to prevent heat-related illness: Summary of evidence and strategies for implementation (Climate and Health Technical Report Series) [Technical report]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.32267.59688
13. Bock, J., Srivastava, P., Jessel, S., Klopp, J. M., & Parks, R. M. (2021). Compounding risks caused by heat exposure and COVID-19 in New York City: A review of policies, tools, and pilot survey results. Journal of Extreme Events, 8(2), 2150015. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2345737621500159
14. New York City Council. (n.d.). Heat and cooling equity: Mapping heat inequality in NYC. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://council.nyc.gov/data/heat/
15. Gobler, C. J. (2020). Climate change and harmful algal blooms: Insights and perspective. Harmful Algae, 91, 101731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2019.101731
16. Berdalet, E., Fleming, L. E., Gowen, R., Davidson, K., Hess, P., Backer, L. C., Moore, S. K., Hoagland, P., & Enevoldsen, H. (2016). Marine harmful algal blooms, human health and wellbeing: Challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 96(1), 61–91. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315415001733
17. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Extreme heat. Retrieved July 11, 2023, from https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/125801.html
18. City of New York. (2016). Cool Neighborhoods NYC: A comprehensive approach to keep communities safe in extreme heat. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/orr/pdf/Cool_Neighborhoods_NYC_Report.pdf
19. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. (n.d.). Cool It! NYC. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/health-and-safety-guide/cool-it-nyc
20. Ortiz, L., Gamarro, H., Gonzalez, J. E., & McPhearson, T. (2022). Energy burden and air conditioning adoption in New York City under a warming climate. Sustainable Cities and Society, 76, 103465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103465
21. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2022). Extreme heat toolkit for providers, patients, clinics. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/extreme-heat-toolkit-for-providers-patients-clinics/
22. New York City Housing Authority. (2019). Sheltering seniors from extreme heat: A study of NYCHA senior housing. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nycha/downloads/pdf/n20-sheltering-seniors-from-extreme-heat.pdf
23. City of New York. (n.d.). Financial help to cover the cost and installation of an air conditioner or fan. Access NYC. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://access.nyc.gov/programs/cooling-assistance-benefit/
24. New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). NY State Heat Vulnerability Index maps. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/vulnerability_index/nys_maps.htm
25. Erie County Department of Health. (n.d.). Extreme heat. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www3.erie.gov/health/extreme-heat
26. Office of the New York State Attorney General. (2022). Attorney General James leads coalition in calling for federal heat standards for workers. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-leads-coalition-calling-federal-heat-standards-workers