This is the first of a two-part series about the dangers of hot weather and how New Yorkers can stay safe. The next installment will look at one strategy: Pop-up cooling stations for community-based summer heat relief.
Each summer in New York City, heat kills roughly 500 people. That’s the central finding of the NYC Health Department’s 2026 Heat-Related Mortality Report, released as the city enters what are expected to be another string of dangerously hot months. The report is also a reminder that heat deaths are preventable and that the city is actively working to prevent them.
Last year was a particularly grim illustration of the stakes. A four-day heat wave in June 2025 killed 19 New Yorkers directly, driving the annual total of heat-stress deaths to 21 — the highest in more than a decade. On June 25 alone, 141 people visited city emergency rooms for heat-related illness, the most since at least 2017. More than 1,100 people sought ER care for heat that entire summer.
“Heat can be deadly, but it can also result in visits to the emergency department, or even hospital admissions,” Kathryn Lane, a senior environmental epidemiologist at the Health Department, told The City Reporter.
The report draws a distinction between heat-stress deaths, caused directly by overheating, and the larger category of heat-exacerbated deaths, where heat worsens existing conditions like heart disease or asthma. The latter accounts for roughly 490 deaths annually, and about 80 percent of those occur on hot but not extreme days, when temperatures fall between 82 and 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Because those days are far more frequent than extreme heat events, their cumulative toll is higher. Climate change is making them more common: the average number of days above 86 degrees has more than doubled over the past five decades.
Black New Yorkers die from heat stress at three times the rate of white New Yorkers; Latino New Yorkers at twice the rate, which is a stark illustration of how racial and economic inequities intersect with health and climate issues. Nearly all heat-stress deaths at home occurred in residences where no air conditioning was running. In some cases, this was because residents lacked AC entirely, while in others, it was because of cost.
“All of these deaths are preventable,” Lane said. “This just underscores the urgency and importance of adapting to climate change and mitigating climate change.”
To help New Yorkers, the Health Department has opened three new cooling centers at Neighborhood Health Action Centers in Brownsville, East Harlem, and Tremont. Here are key resources for staying safe:
RESOURCES
Cool Options Finder — Locate the nearest cooling center or air-conditioned public space at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters.
Notify NYC — Sign up for free heat advisory alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 or enrolling at nyc.gov.
Essential Plan Cooling Program — Eligible Essential Plan members with qualifying health conditions may apply for a free AC at info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/CoolingProgram.
Health coverage questions? Call 311, text “CoveredNYC” to 55676, or visit nyc.gov/healthcoverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between heat stress and heat-exacerbated deaths?
- Heat Stress Deaths: These are caused directly by overheating and hyperthermia.
- Heat-Exacerbated Deaths: A larger category where hot weather worsens existing chronic conditions like heart disease or asthma. This accounts for roughly 490 deaths annually in NYC.
How does heat impact racial and economic inequality in NYC? Data reveals that Black New Yorkers die from heat stress at three times the rate of white New Yorkers, and Latino New Yorkers die at twice the rate. Additionally, nearly all heat stress deaths at home occur in residences where air conditioning is not running due to a lack of a unit or utility costs.
How can I find a cooling center or get a free AC in New York City?
Free Air Conditioners: Eligible Essential Plan members with qualifying health conditions can apply for a free AC by calling 311 or visiting nyc.gov/healthcoverage.
Cooling Centers: Locate air-conditioned public spaces using the official Cool Options Finder at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters.
Heat Advisories: Text “NOTIFYNYC” to 692-692 to sign up for free emergency alerts.
View the video version of this blog post on YouTube.