This archive report was first published on 21 July 2019.
As the sun set on Saturday, July 20, 2019, New Yorkers were met with little relief from the sweltering heat that had plagued the city all day.
Temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees, and by midnight, they had only dropped to around 90 degrees, leaving residents with little comfort.
On Sunday, July 21, 2019, the heat wave was expected to continue, with temperatures expected to reach the upper 90s across the Atlantic Coast, from South Carolina to Maine.
Forecasters warned of oppressive heat, with humidity making it feel well over 100 degrees in some areas.
As part of the city's response to the extreme temperatures, hundreds of cooling centers were opened, including one at the Jacob A. Riis Settlement House in Queens.
While the cooling centers were not packed, those who did take advantage of them, like the group assembled for a tenants association meeting, were grateful for the relief.
"Doesn't it feel delicious?" said April Simpson, the president of Queensbridge Tenants Association, as she cooled off at the center.
Many residents without air-conditioning took to the streets, queuing up in long lines for community swimming pools, playing in the water shooting from fire hydrants, and seeking shade wherever they could find it.
