New York activates emergency heat plan

New York City activated its heat and flash flood emergency plans on Wednesday, August 5, as forecasters warned of dangerous heat and isolated severe storms through the end of the week. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said hundreds of cooling centers would open Thursday and Code Red outreach would expand across the five boroughs. The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory for the city from 11 a.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Friday, with heat index values expected to reach around 100 degrees. In California, the National Weather Service said a separate Heat Advisory in the San Joaquin Valley would remain in effect through 8 p.m. Sunday as triple-digit temperatures persisted, while a 17-hour outage in Los Angeles left hundreds of households without air conditioning. ### Why did New York activate the plan now? Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said on August 5 that the city was activating its emergency plans ahead of dangerous heat and isolated severe thunderstorms expected later in the week. The mayor’s office said the weather system could bring heat index values around 100 degrees and localized heavy downpours, with Friday afternoon and evening carrying the greatest risk of heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service said the advisory for New York began at 11 a.m. Thursday and runs through 8 p.m. Friday. Gothamist reported forecasters said the advisory was likely to be extended into Saturday. ### What does the city’s emergency heat plan actually do? NYC Emergency Management says the city opens cooling centers across the five boroughs during heat emergencies and directs residents to the Cooling Center Finder or 311 to confirm whether a site is open. (nyc.gov) The agency also shares information with service providers through its Advance Warning System. More than 500 New Yorkers died prematurely last year from preventable heat illness, according to NYC Emergency Management’s extreme heat page. (gothamist.com) The agency says older adults and people with conditions including heart disease or asthma face higher risk. ### How hot is California expected to get? The National Weather Service office serving the San Joaquin Valley said on Wednesday that a Heat Advisory would remain in effect until 8 p.m. (nyc.gov) PDT Sunday. The agency said dangerous heat would continue in the San Joaquin Valley, west side hills, lower Sierra Nevada foothills, Lake Isabella and the Kern River Valley, with widespread triple-digit heat and overnight lows in the mid-70s to near 80 at the hottest locations. Bakersfield’s forecast page showed hazardous weather conditions tied to the advisory on Thursday. Forecasts for Kern County areas cited by regional coverage described lower elevations above 100 degrees and mountain communities in the 90s. ### What happened in Los Angeles when the power went out? Hundreds of Los Angeles households in Hollywood Hills and Brentwood spent more than 17 hours without electricity and air conditioning during the heat wave, according to The Cool Down, which cited KNBC. (weather.gov) Residents said power went out around 6 p.m., turning indoor heat into an immediate safety concern for people without cooling. (forecast.weather.gov) The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power says outage information on its map is an estimate and can change as conditions evolve. The utility directs customers to report outages through its website or by phone. ### Where can people check the next updates? New York City residents can check cooling center status through the city’s Cooling Center Finder or by calling 311, according to NYC Emergency Management. (thecooldown.com) The mayor’s office said city agencies were also preparing emergency response teams and inspecting flood-prone areas ahead of Friday’s expected storm risk. In California, the National Weather Service said the Kern County-area Heat Advisory is scheduled to remain in place until 8 p.m. (ladwp.com) PDT on Sunday, August 9. Los Angeles utility customers can monitor restoration and new outages through the LADWP outage pages as the heat continues. (weather.gov) (nyc.gov)