Transcript: Mayor Adams, New York City Emergency Management Announce Proactive Safety Plan To Help New Yorkers “Beat The Heat,” Resources To Protect Against Extreme Summer Weather

May 30, 2024

Camille Joseph Varlack, Chief of Staff to the Mayor: Good morning, everyone. My name is Camille Joseph Varlack, and I serve as chief of staff to the mayor as well as extreme weather coordinator for New York City. Our administration is laser-focused on protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and creating a more livable city for working-class New Yorkers. 

Today we are excited to be here to make an important announcement about how this administration is preparing to help New Yorkers beat the heat during these beautiful summer months, as well as preparing for other extreme weather events like hurricanes, flash floods, and wildfire smoke. To tell you more about it, I'm pleased to turn it over to Mayor Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much. As chief of staff, I was telling Commissioner Donoghue, this was our hood. We hung out many times, Prospect Park, this beautiful museum. This was my senatorial district, and as well as my time as borough president, and so it's good to be back here. 

This museum has become a centerpiece for so much that's done here. I don't know if they still do first Sundays, or First Saturdays, but it used to be thousands of people would come through for a free event, and this beautiful addition here has become a mainstay in this great borough of Brooklyn. 

We're really excited about summer months. I think nothing is better than summer in New York City. There's so much to do, but we're dealing with a different time and a different moment. Our climate has changed a lot, and the coordination of what we must do in every entity, particularly what Commissioner Iscol is doing in the Office of Emergency Management on how we ensure that we let New Yorkers know ahead of time of how do we plan. 

I do not walk in a building without looking around to see what emergency exits are. When I sit on the plane, I actually listen to the stewardess when she gives those instructions. I may have heard them a thousand times, but preparation is everything, and that is what we're doing. We're saying to New Yorkers, as you start your summer engagement, particularly for those who has respiratory conditions or who are going to be moving around with their seniors and their parents, you need to go into the summer with a level of preparation, and the things that you need to know, and we want to make sure that you are aware of them as we move into the summer months, particularly heat. 

We all may love a nice, hot summer day, but it comes with some real warning signs that we need to be prepared, and our summers are different now. Global warming is real, and we want to make sure that climate change and the heat that it brings with intensity, that people are aware of how to deal with it during a heatwave. That's why New York City is getting ready in advance, and we want all New Yorkers to be ready, too. 

This year, we have expanded the number of cooling centers across the city, and our new Cool Options Map will now be available 24 hours, seven days a week online, starting next week. The map will show the cooling center options available in your city, including many of our public libraries, older adult centers, and museums. This is something that Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez has been really focused on as we let our seniors know ahead of time where they can go to deal with these cooling centers, and we should map them out, and they should be aware of which is the closest cooling center in their area. 

It's not too early to plan, and we want people to prepare before the heat starts to really impact the city, but we also have areas where there are air-conditioned space, such as many of the local areas that we're going to point out on our heating or cooling center locations, but you also should know loved ones and family members, those who have air conditions. 

It's about proper planning, it's being prepared, and we should open our homes to those loved ones that we know don't have an air conditioner, don't have adequate cooling facilities. It's about helping neighbors, it's about engaging with each other, and it's about pets. Our pets also deal with the heat issue, and so we want to be very clear on what locations pets are allowed in and which ones aren't, but which locations and centers welcome pets so they can also identify those locations. 

We want New Yorkers to be prepared for the summer heat, even if temperatures do not rise. Heat and heat conditions, they're still here, and it will still impact people, even in those days that are not intense, it still could be a health emergency. 

Each summer, too many New Yorkers die prematurely due to heat, and it's something that we really take for granted. We talk about cold weather emergencies, but we need to be concerned about the heat weather and how it impacts. Tomorrow, May 31st, is National Heat Awareness Day, and the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit will host a day of action in the South Bronx, focused on connecting people to NYCEM's Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps income eligible New Yorkers purchase an air conditioner or fan for their residence. 

There are initiatives that we are doing to make sure that we can assist as much as possible. In addition to opening cooling centers citywide, we're also expanding our city's national cooling system and our tree canopy. Our parks department has planted over 15,000 new trees in 2024. It's an amazing job, 

Sue and her team, and we're on pace to plant more than 18,000 trees this year. The highest total in eight years, and I don't think anything does a better job of a natural cooling than sitting under a tree under a difficult and hot day. Every tree we plant provides shade in lowest temperatures, in addition to beautifying our streets and sidewalks. 

When we take care of nature, nature take care of us. We're also making robust efforts to protect older New Yorkers during heat events by connecting our seniors with free indoor thermostats. Working with partners like City Meals on Wheels, Staten Island, God's Love We Deliver, and the Food Bank for New York City to distribute heat safety information to vulnerable population. These partners already deliver food to the homes of those who are homebound. This is a way, as we deliver food, to deliver information that can prepare them from heat related emergency. 

We want New Yorkers working outside to also stay safe as well. We'll be distributing thousands  of cool kits to delivery drivers and outdoor laborers working under the summer sun. As well as promoting safety for all outdoor workers. Extreme heat is a real concern for us. We're taking this seriously. 

Historically, we don't do these updates and broadcasts, but we learned a lot from last year. All of these commissioners who are here wanted to come together and do a collaboration of how each one of their agencies is going to provide some level of touching their constituencies to ensure that they have some way of dealing with the heat. 

Last year, we saw how quickly dangerous wildfire smoke could blanket our city. Coming from Canada, it was really something amazing to see how something so far away can impact our city and impact the breathing of everyday New Yorkers. Even from 5,000 miles away. This year, we have updated our air quality emergency guidelines. 

With new technology and monitoring greater outreach to vulnerable populations and more protections to critical services and infrastructure such as public transportations and hospitals. If there are serious air quality concerns, we can modify school operation and outdoor events and early information and notification can go a long way. We want to know when we should notify people to wear high quality masks. We also want to be able to quickly distribute high quality face masks. 

New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for NotifyNYC, the city's free emergency notification system, which will keep everyone updated about weather and air quality issues. NotifyNYC is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language. You can also visit AirNow.gov  for up-to-date information on air quality in your area. 

We saw during Superstorm Sandy, a hurricane headed towards New York City is one of the biggest threats we face, that season is upon us. The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be worse than usual because of the record-warm ocean temperatures among other factors as well. We need to be ahead of time and do proper notification and pack a safety bag when you have to move or leave repeatedly and be aware of those who are dealing with health related issues that are homebound. 

Led by New York City Emergency Management, we have been preparing all year round and we need New Yorkers to do the same. First, know your zone and be prepared to evacuate if needed. You can find out if they live in one of the six evacuation zones by visiting nyc.gov/knowyourzone or calling 311. Make a plan to evacuate by knowing where to go and how you're going to have your movement in a safe way. If you need city shelter, you can find this information on the website as well. 

Flash flooding is also a concern for our city. We witnessed that with the heavy rainfall that we witnessed throughout the year. We want New Yorkers to be aware of that. If you live below grade, low line, drainage areas, make sure you have a plan for extreme flash flooding. 

As Camille stated, since day one, this has been in the heart of what we want to do. Anytime we talk about protecting New Yorkers and public safety and making sure the city's livable, this is part of that. It's a real holistic approach. I want to thank all of our agencies that are here because it's a coordinated effort. This is really their brainchild of saying, let's come together as one unit as we deal with the change in our climate and how it impacts heat-related issues that this city can face. 

We want everyone to enjoy the summer, but with the summer comes some obligation and responsibilities that we all want to be aware of. Thank you, Camille.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Mayor Adams. Every day, members of the New York City Emergency Management Team are working tirelessly to ensure that our city is prepared to respond to whatever Mother Nature sends our way. Today's announcement would not be possible without their efforts. I'm pleased to turn it over to New York City Emergency Management Commissioner, Zach Iscol.

Commissioner Zach Iscol, New York City Emergency Management: Good morning, and thank you all for joining us today. Since day one, Mayor Adams has given leaders in his administration a clear mission. Protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and making our city more livable for all. A key part of this mission is safeguarding our city's most vulnerable residents from the dangers of heat and weather-related events. 

High heat is a silent killer, posing a disproportionate threat to our most vulnerable residents, especially those age 60 and older, young children, and those with pre-existing health conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, or cognitive impairments. With 2023 already being the warmest year in the global temperature record, this year the National Weather Service again estimates a high chance of seeing above normal temperatures for the summer months, increasing the risk for heat-related illnesses and fatalities.

New York City's most heat-related deaths occur within homes lacking air conditioning, often due to limited access or financial constraints. This vulnerability disproportionately affects Black New Yorkers, who are more than twice as likely as white New Yorkers to succumb to heat-exacerbated mortality. As a city, we're committed to doing our part. We also urge all New Yorkers to do their part. Check in on those who are most at risk, help them find a cool place to stay during heat events. 

Our city has a long history of proactive measures to address the dangers of high heat. This year, we're taking that commitment even further, with a renewed focus on reaching and protecting those who need it most, designed to better protect our residents in the face of increasing temperatures. Our existing heat emergency plans, one of our most frequently activated plans, while essential, needed an upgrade to meet the escalating challenges posed by climate change. We've recognized several areas where we can strengthen our approach to heat. 

Number one is clear and direct public messaging. We've shifted away, we still operate cooling centers, but we also want to emphasize cool options and cool spaces. This encompasses a wider range of accessible locations and actions for New Yorkers to find during hot weather. We also have a renewed focus on empowering individual preparedness. Cool options, cool spaces include familiar places like libraries, community centers, malls, pools, and museums. 

We're also partnering with local businesses, elected officials, and organizations to expand our network of cooling centers, including this museum where we are today, here at the Brooklyn Museum. Also places like Lincoln Center and the Museum of the City of New York. We are inviting more elected officials and community boards and other partners to join this effort. 

We are also piloting a program, as the mayor said, to distribute cool kits. This is one of the cool kits containing essential heat safety items to deliver to delivery drivers, outdoor workers, and other at-risk groups. These kits include a cooling towel, cold pack, water packets, electrolyte mix, and sunscreen. 

Then also through our Strengthen Communities program, which is our network of community-based organizations, non-profit partners. These are grassroots programs. We're piloting a program to distribute indoor thermometers, as the mayor said, to older adults helping them monitor their home temperatures in order to stay safe. 

Finally, as the mayor also said, we're working with partners, food partners like City Meals on Wheels, Staten Island, God's Love We Deliver, and the Food Bank for NYC to distribute heat safety information to our city's most vulnerable populations. 

Finally, as the mayor also mentioned, we are revamping our cooling center finder. Cooling centers are air-conditioned sites open during heat emergencies to provide New Yorkers with relief. As of next week, our cooling center finder will now be available year-round, not just during heat emergencies. This allows residents to plan ahead and locate convenient options whenever they need them. It's available in 13 languages or by calling 311. 

I also wanted to briefly talk about air quality, which often accompanies high heat. Since wildfire smoke blanketed the city last year, we've been working on internal protocols to improve our response to air quality incidents. Our new protocols, created in collaboration with cities like San Francisco, will better equip us for air quality events going forward, including increasing agency coordination and public messaging to our most vulnerable populations. For more guidance, you can visit the health department's website. 

This summer's forecast, would be remiss if I did not mention, also includes heightened hurricane activity. We have updated the city's coastal storm plan. We are relaunching our Know Your Zone campaign. We're implementing targeted messaging for residents who live in basement apartments. We work closely with the National Weather Service in the run-up and throughout hurricane season, actually all year round, to prepare for potential impacts and collaborating with other city agencies to mitigate those impacts from hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and severe weather. 

More importantly than what the city is doing to prepare, today is really about letting New Yorkers know what they need to do to beat the heat. Remember to rest, hydrate, locate shade if you're working outdoors. If your work is strenuous, avoid extreme temperature changes, seek out air conditioned, cool option spaces, centers like libraries or malls. If you set your air conditioner, set it to low cool. We recommend about 78 degrees to stay comfortable and safe, while also saving on electricity costs and helping us protect the grid. 

Most importantly, check in on your neighbors, especially the elderly, those with mental conditions. For more tips, you can visit nyc.gov/readynewyork. One of the things I always emphasize is it's very important for each individual, each individual family, to develop your own preparedness plan. 

Every family is different. I've got four kids, three rescue dogs, occasionally a mother-in-law, an older adult who lives with us. That's very different than if you live by yourself, in terms of the plans that you might need, the things that you might need to think about. Make sure you have a plan that works for you and your loved ones, those that you care about. You can develop that. Again, we offer a lot of resources at nyc.gov/readynewyork.

Finally, I would not be New York City Emergency Management Commissioner if I didn't take this opportunity to encourage everyone to sign up for NotifyNYC. Available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language. You can sign up at nyc.gov/notify by calling 311 or by downloading the app. Thank you all so much, and thank you, Mr. Mayor. Back over to you. 

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Commissioner. The New York City Department for the Aging works around the clock to ensure the needs of our older residents are met on a daily basis. With more than 1.5 million older New Yorkers living here in New York City, the Department of the Aging serves as a national model for what it means to be an age-friendly city. 

It is my pleasure to introduce our commissioner for the New York City Department of the Aging, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez.

Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Department for the Aging: Good morning, thank you all very much. With the growing number of older adults this administration has made every effort to make this an age-inclusive city. With that, we have policies that cross any age group, including the older adults. 

I am very pleased that we were talking about cooling centers. About 308, about 250 of those, serve as cooling centers, and you can find them on the cooling center map. The other thing that we would say is that for those older adults who have family members, as the mayor said, make sure that you check in on your neighbor, on your family member. They're the most vulnerable population. 

During extreme heat, it is really important for us to send out information to older adults. Cooling centers are critical. You have a map, we can know exactly where they are. The commitment of the Department for the Aging is that they're in your community, representing your needs and your wants. 

I would just say, at night, keep your living space clean and cool, is what I meant. Make sure that you take down the shades during the day. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, avoid caffeine. It is really important for us. If you're unsure how to access the map, or how to find out what the center is in your area, please call Aging Connect, 212-244-6469. With that, I can say, it is partnerships like this that keep New York City healthy, cool, and prepared. Thank you all very much.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Commissioner. Next, it is my pleasure to introduce Alexandra Silver, the Director of the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare, who is a true leader in ensuring the well-being and safety of our city's four-legged friends.

Alexandra Silver, Director, Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare: Thank you so much. Thank you, too, to Neil and Hugo, who I'm going to ask and see if they can come up and join us, if possible. Neil and Hugo are from the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, despite their species. This is Hugo, this is Neil. I'm grateful for them for coming to help spread the word about protecting companion animals. 

As the mayor mentioned, we want to make sure all New Yorkers, and that includes pets, and the people who love them, are safe. As has been mentioned, there are pet-friendly cooling centers. Oh my god, I hope we're taking some home today. That's my hope. These guys are available for adoption. There are pet-friendly cooling centers, and we also urge animal guardians to make sure that their pets have access to fresh, clean water at all times. 

When you take your dog out on a hot day, you want to take them out in the mornings or the evenings, the cooler parts of the day. Be alert to any symptoms of overheating. Excessive panting, drooling, mild weakness, those can all be signs. Those aren't the only ones, but those can be signs of overheating. We want to be alert to that. Never, please don't leave your animal in a car, even with the windows cracked. Just a lot of these are common-sense heat precautions to take. 

The last thing I'll just say about air quality, it's pretty much what we would say to humans. If you have serious air quality concerns, limit your time outside with your pets. Again, I just want to emphasize that Neil and Hugo are available for adoption. Please check them out. They're looking for new homes. Thank you so much.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you so much, Alex. With that, we'll open it up for some questions.

Question: Thank you. Sorry. I got distracted. distracted by the dog. Mayor, and maybe for the emergency management commissioner as well, you mentioned the air quality guidelines. They're being updated to reach more vulnerable New Yorkers. Can you go into a little bit more detail on what exactly that means? How is it being updated? How will that help the city reach more vulnerable New Yorkers? 

On the Canadian wildfires, are you actually expecting wildfire smoke this summer? On the final point with the cooling centers, how many are there and how many are going to be open 24/7, as you mentioned?

Commissioner Iscol: I'm sorry. Can you repeat the last question?

Question: The last part about the cooling center. I think the mayor said that some of them are going to be open around the clock, seven days a week.

Commissioner Iscol: The cooling center finder is open 24/7. The finder, not the centers. In terms of air quality, there's a lot of things we're doing to educate New Yorkers about air quality, right? We do it through everything from NotifyNYC, through our partnerships with community-based organizations. As I mentioned, there's a lot of information that's been updated on the health department's website. We can provide you – you can find it on the health department's website. 

We've also done some new protocols in terms of monitoring air quality, closer coordination with New York DEC, which is the agency, the state agency, that's responsible for monitoring and providing sort of the alerts in the same way the National Weather Service does for weather. 

Then in terms of the season, just like there is going to be an active hurricane season, it's looking like it is going to be an active wildfire season. It is something that we are looking at and preparing for. It looks like there are a lot of very dry areas of Canada right now that can lead to increased amounts of smoke when you have those types of wildfires. 

It's important to note, wildfires are not the only contributor to air pollution or air quality, right? That is one type. We also have other conditions that are much harder to predict through things like ozone, which is something else that is not something as apparent. We had an ozone alert last week, I think it was, up in Westchester County. Those are things that we are also looking at that high heat can contribute to.

Question: I can go on the DOH website, but do you want to just tell us what are these updates?

Commissioner Iscol: I think I'll defer you to the Department of Health website in terms of looking for the specific guidance. Then I think a lot of the other things that we're doing is, as the mayor said, providing places, and directing New Yorkers to places like AirNow.gov so that they know where they can get the information as well.

Question: Question about the cooling centers. you mentioned several of them are going to be in libraries. Libraries are mostly closed on Sundays. I guess, is there going to be an alternative on those days, or will they be open despite the closures?

Mayor Adams: The site is going to list all the cooling systems. Not only going to be in libraries, but it's going to be in all the cooling systems. And we’re still under the budget negotiation, we don't know what the final results are, but we will address wherever folks need to find cooling, we will have spaces for them. Wherever folks need to find cooling, we're going to have space for them.

Question: How are you?

Mayor Adams: Good, man. How are you doing?

Question: Good to see you, man. Two quick questions. One is on NotifyNYC. There has been some criticism that because it's largely an opt-in system, you have folks who don't have air conditioners or may not use social media, they're not the folks who are going to get NotifyNYC. What have you done to increase the outreach to folks who aren't signed up in the first place? 

Mayor Adams: You're dead right. That's something that Deputy Mayor, First Deputy Mayor Wright has looked at. We did an analysis of where folks are signing up for NotifyNYC, and our goal, number one, as the commissioner has done, is to constantly announce it more, bring on Pastor Monrose, who's heading our faith-based initiative, to have our pastors be a part of that, and then find alternative methods. 

One thing we do know, almost 96 percent of New Yorkers have a cell phone, and whatever methods they use, we want to find out. We're going to be talking to focus groups. How do we get people to be more forward-thinking on signing up for a great tool, NotifyNYC, but it's not being used as the way we would like to across the city?

Commissioner Iscol: One other thing I just want to add to that is, the mayor has really encouraged us to take a multi-channel approach, and so I think it's a fair question. I don't think you can find all New Yorkers in any one place, right? 

What we do is we do press conferences. We do advisories. We have community-based organizations that do canvassing, both digital canvassing, phone banking. They knock on doors. We email every elected, every elected in the city, with the forecast when we activate the flash flood plan or when we have these types of alerts so that every elected in the city can participate in reaching out through their multiple channels to their constituents to make sure they stay safe. 

NotifyNYC is the primary, but it's not the only way that we're getting information out to the public. Social media is another big one, having the mayor do stand-up videos, doing press conferences. It is a multi-channel approach to getting the information out there. This summer with Know Your Zone, we're doing a big advertising campaign. We're placing ads in local and ethnic media. We have been meeting endlessly with a lot of ethnic media outlets to talk to them about these things. We try and do a whole host of ways of reaching the public beyond just NotifyNYC.

Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: I want to make sure that for older adults, it's a live person who answers the phone. We count on you to give out the information so that everyone can help us. It's 212-244-6469. If you don't know how to access the map, you can go there and get information.

Question: I want to ask you, since the coming extreme weather czar, whether you think the criticisms of the city's response to some extreme events have been warranted, such as the air quality a year ago, the earthquake recently, some of the flooding advisories. Have you heard these questions about, “Well, you're just leaving it up to NotifyNYC?”

Joseph Varlack: I'm sorry, could you repeat the beginning part of your question?

Question: Are you satisfied with the way the city has responded to crises in the last year? What do you still want to see improved?

Joseph Varlack: Yes, so I think that when it comes down to it, every single thing that happens in the city, there is an opportunity for improvement. This administration is constantly striving to make sure that we are improving every aspect of how we deliver services. 

We meet together regularly as a team. It's not just me. There are a few other folks. I meet with Commissioner Iscol on a regular basis. We are focused on the seasons as they are coming up. What we need to do, making sure that agencies are prepared, and the agencies are prepared. I'm looking forward to continuing to serve in this role. I think we will continue to show up for New Yorkers.

Question: Hi, I guess this question is for both the mayor and for the OEM commissioner. I know you said you're relaunching the Know Your Zone. Is that just an advertising or are you adjusting some of the maps? Additionally, are you going to capture not just the coastal flooding that's in the Know Your Zone, the Zone A, the 123, however it is, but also some of the non-coastal flooding that we see in non-hurricane rain events?

Commissioner Iscol: First off, I love your question. It really is. It's a fantastic question because it's not something that a lot of people really understand in terms of the different types of flooding we need to contend with. The data that we use for updating the hurricane evacuation zone, I think it was last updated, we get that from the federal government. I can get you the exact year, but it was a few years ago when we actually updated these specific zones. 

The Know Your Zone campaign is really about making sure everybody knows what zone that they live in. Those zones have not changed that much or that drastically. One of the big changes that occurred after Sandy was going from three zones to six. We don't have a big change like that. I think your question gets the other point of, you may or may not live in a coastal flooding zone, right? 

One of the big dangers from hurricanes is not winds. It's not rain. It can be. The big hazard is really coastal flooding, right? you're familiar with Jamaica Bay, water getting pushed into Jamaica Bay, into New York Harbor. That is something that we can model pretty effectively based on the strength of the storm, wind direction, the time. 

Rainfall, it is a much, the entire city is in a rainfall flood zone, the entire city. If you have an event like we did on September 28th, 29th, where you have significant rainfalls above the forecast that ends up coming in at the high tide cycle in parts of Brooklyn, you're going to have much more significant flooding than if that rainfall had just been, half a mile away and somewhere else. 

We're still working. We have flood sensors that we have been putting around the city. We're working closely with NYU, with DEP to get better data about how we model that. The National Weather Service is doing a lot more to change some of the ways that they proactively message and changing some of the focus of their forecasting around looking at what the potential impacts could be. 

The science is not there yet in the way it is with coastal flooding to be able to tell you, with that level of accuracy, where the flooding will occur when you have storms.

Question: I know from Hurricane Ida's remnants in 2021, there's prior data, the data you have from prior storms, and then there's additionally, the city had at that time a map of places that are prone to flooding. I'm thinking of the neighborhoods in parts of Flushing where you had houses built on what had been a tributary of a river, of course it's going to flood. You have parts of Woodside, Queens where people died, Ridgewood where people died. Do you have that data?

Commissioner Iscol: We have a rainfall flood map, right, that shows what areas are more prone. The problem is you don't know where the rain is going to fall. With coastal flooding, where the water is going to go with pretty good accuracy. With rainfall, you don't know where in the city the rain is actually going to fall. 

You could have 10 inches of rainfall in Central Park. You could have 10 inches of rainfall in Southern Manhattan. Very different events, right, and that's where it's very difficult in terms of, and that's one of the reasons that when you get the National Weather Service alerts and we push that out through Notify, when we start talking about the weather is that people understand the differences between warnings, watching, watches, different types of statements so that they know what they need to be paying attention to because things can change very quickly with rainfall.

Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Climate Environmental Justice: Hi, my name is Elijah Hutchinson. I'm the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. As part of our environmental justice work, we just released a new online mapping tool at EJNYC. What that will do is it created a new indicator called the Flood Vulnerability Index, which looks at multiple types of hazards of flooding and also social and environmental characteristics for all neighborhoods across New York City so that there's flood vulnerability identified today and into the future through 2100. 

If anybody has concerns or is looking for other information, we've actually integrated the cooling centers and other information into that map itself too so that people can access it online at any time. That's EJNYC.

Question: Thanks. This one's for the Mayor. You mentioned the Parks Department planting 18,000 trees. Were some of these trees specifically placed in urban neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by the heat?

Mayor Adams: Sue? Oh, we always like calling Sue. 

Commissioner Sue Donoghue, Department of Parks and Recreation: Yes, thank you. We absolutely have. We have prioritized what we call heat vulnerability neighborhoods. There's a heat vulnerability index, and that is where we're prioritizing our tree planting. We have planted 15,000 today. We've got another 3,000 that are coming. Those are very much targeted towards those heat vulnerability index neighborhoods.

Question: This one's off topic. Did you hear about the guy that posted on social about going to Times Square today? Is there going to be enhanced security, that he's going to go shoot up Times Square today?

Mayor Adams: NYPD has not briefed me on it, but we're looking into it. They respond rapidly to these things on social media. Thank you.