This archive report was first published on 21 July 2019.
Heat Wave Brings NYC to a Standstill ¶
As a severe heat wave gripped New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency, citing temperatures that had not been seen in at least seven years.
Published on July 20, 2019, at 7:09 AM ET, the heat wave brought with it a mix of soaring temperatures and high humidity, creating heat indexes as high as 115 degrees in some places.
Residents and visitors alike were affected, with hundreds of cooling centers being opened to protect those most vulnerable to the heat, including older people and the homeless.
However, lawyers and activists complained that inmates in the city's jails were stifling in units without air-conditioning, and in many cases, still had to wear uniforms with long sleeves and pants.
Despite the challenges, New Yorkers continued to venture out, with many filling museums, forming lines around the block for community pools, and going to work.
"The bills have to be paid," said Ron Mason, 51, a parks worker in Harlem, who wore long pants, long sleeves, and work gloves to protect himself from the heat.
Extreme heat blanketed much of the continent, stretching as far as the Great Lakes and the Texas panhandle, with authorities mobilizing in the same ways as they did in New York.
More than 200,000 homes and businesses in Michigan remained without power on Saturday after an overnight storm, exacerbating the heat wave's impact.
Already, the heat had led to several deaths across the country, including a former player for the New York Giants who died in Arkansas from a heat stroke.
As the heat wave continued to grip the city, officials warned of the dangers of the urban heat island effect, which makes cities significantly hotter than nearby suburbs.
"This is a very, very difficult situation," Mayor de Blasio said in a news conference on Friday. "Everyone's got to take it seriously."
Con Edison's president, Tim Cawley, said the utility was "very confident" that the power grid would withstand the heat, having brought in 4,000 additional workers and extended employees' shifts.
Some New Yorkers, however, benefited from the heat, with Jesus Ayala, a Harlem street vendor, reporting a 150 percent increase in sales.
