Climate advocates try to prepare Harlem residents for the worst. Here's what to do to be ready.
NEW YORK — This week, New York City is expecting more heat, plus more rain. As the roller coaster weather continues this summer, WE ACT for Environmental Justice encourages Harlem neighbors to prepare for any kind of climate emergency.
Advocates speaking to residents at the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing's Red Oak apartment building said they do not want to scare you, but they want to prepare you for the worst. WE ACT collaborated with the Columbus-Amsterdam Business Improvement District for the workshop.
"It always seems like a distant threat, but it's really here and it's happening," said WE ACT climate justice campaign manager Annie Carforo. "The summers have always felt hot, but they're incredibly hot now, and we're seeing every summer is breaking record heat."
How New Yorkers can prepare for a climate emergency
A map of Uptown created in collaboration with area organizations shows cooling centers for heat plus evacuation centers for flooding, encouraging everyone to chart a path towards safety in advance of any climate emergency. It overlays coastal flood zones facing impacts of hurricanes as well as the single streets susceptible to flooding from extreme rain events, even including the subway stations and bus stops that experience flood effects.
"We're seeing worse heat waves," Carforo said. "We're seeing more flooding, but there are steps you can take to make yourself and your family more resilient and better prepared ... so that we're not caught flat-footed in these emergencies."
Your plan should also include an evacuation kit, which can come in handy in any emergency, and should include not only water, non-perishable food and flashlights, but also extra medication, a waterproof bag of personal documents and a change of clothes.
"Part of what we did with this plan is really tailor it to somebody who's living in a New York City apartment," Carforo said. "What are the things you can put on an extra shelf or under your bed and make sure that they're all there, and we also really encourage people to personalize this."
With temperatures expected to climb back above 90 degrees Wednesday, cooling centers like the one at Red Oak will reopen for anyone who needs to beat the heat.
For more emergency planning resources, click here.
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