They also specifically mention the East Flatbush area of Brooklyn. There are only two cooling centers in the area, one at Rugby Library and one on Clarendon Road. Nearly half of the city’s cooling centers are senior centers, so there is an age requirement, according to the report.
The 10 regions with the highest heat vulnerability and the lowest number of cooling centers per 100,000 population included the regions of Brooklyn and the Bronx. Brooklyn, East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Borough Park, Lefferts Gardens, Bedford Stuyvesant were mentioned.The Bronx includes Kingsbridge Heights and Bedford, Fordham and University Heights, Highbridge and concourse were included.
According to the report, at least half of the cooling centers that are open are closed on Saturdays, and more than 80% are closed on Sundays.
Officials say the extreme heat is getting worse and the city needs to take action now.
The General Accounting Office has made many recommendations to the city on how to address this problem, including calling on the city to open more cooling centers throughout New York City.
News 12 has contacted the city’s Emergency Management Agency. While they didn’t directly respond to the concerns raised in the report, they did make an extensive assessment, stating, “We want all communities to have equitable access to cooling centers. So this season we’re going to have a record A significant number of cooling centers have been opened.”