Extreme Heat

Adapting to Extreme Heat in New York State

Extreme heat is severely affecting the health and well-being of New Yorkers across the state and is the leading cause of death among hazardous weather events in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. Climate change is increasing the severity, duration, and frequency of extreme heat events in New York State, which in turn causes more severe heat-related impacts.

Learn more about the impacts of extreme heat in a changing climate by reading the summary report “Extreme Heat in New York State” (PDF).

Extreme heat impacts occur unevenly across New York's communities and are worsened by socio-economic, environmental, age- and health-related conditions, and other factors that increase risks, especially for vulnerable groups. People of color, Indigenous Peoples, unhoused people and people living in institutional settings, older adults, infants and children, pregnant people, and people with chronic illnesses are especially at risk. Vulnerability to extreme heat is also influenced by race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, and language proficiency. 

Learn more about heat-health risks on the DOH website. 

Also, be sure to check out the "DEC Does What?!" podcast episode on extreme heat.

New York State Action on Extreme Heat

Governor Hochul has prioritized addressing the current and future impacts of extreme heat for the State. Under her direction, in June 2024, DEC and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released the Extreme Heat Action Plan, which provides a road map for coordinated State action on extreme heat adaptation. New York State prioritizes equity in health, well-being, and quality of life for all communities across all extreme heat planning initiatives.

The Extreme Heat Action Plan includes 49 actions for the State  to take to support adaptation and resilience to extreme heat. Actions are organized in four tracks to:

• support extreme heat adaptation, planning and implementation (track 1);
• enhance community preparedness, communication, and workers’ health and safety (track 2);
• enhance the resilience of built environments, infrastructure, and managed spaces (track 3); and
• advance ecosystem-based adaptation and natural solutions (track 4).

The table below provides a list of the actions included in the plan.

Identifying Urban Heat Islands and Mapping Extreme Heat Exposure

Communities across New York State are susceptible to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, in which the built environment traps and stores heat. In partnership with State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) and Davey Tree, DEC is developing maps and tools to identify areas that are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat, including urban disadvantaged communities (DACs).

Preliminary maps show heat exposure intensity throughout New York State and depict the UHI as areas with higher temperatures than surrounding, less developed areas. Maps are available via Davey Tree at the link below (see “online map viewer”). The maps are available in an online viewer, as static downloads, and as GIS layers.

Please refer to the fact sheet (PDF) and the Davey Tree website for additional information. These maps are non-decisional and intended for use as generalized information about areas with disproportionate extreme heat exposure. The maps should be used in combination with other data and local communities’ knowledge about extreme heat exposures and risks. DEC is developing final heat exposure maps, expected in 2026, that will incorporate future-looking data and include duration and frequency of extreme heat events, in addition to intensity.