A new report from New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is highlighting the disparities of heat-related deaths across the five boroughs.

Of the approximately 350 heat-related deaths per year across the city, Black New Yorkers have a higher likelihood of heat indirectly aggravating an underlying illness, like heart disease, according to the report.

What You Need To Know

  • A new report from New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is highlighting the disparities of heat-related deaths across the five boroughs

  • Of the approximately 350 heat-related deaths per year across the city, Black New Yorkers have a higher likelihood of heat indirectly aggravating an underlying illness, like heart disease, according to the report

  • Brooklyn was the borough with the highest number of deaths

  • Officials said lack of equitable access to resources — like jobs, housing and health care — are the reasons for the disparities

Brooklyn was the borough with the highest number of deaths.

“Growing up in New York, it’s definitely one where you’re truly able to see differences in communities,” said Sara Charles, a resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Charles said she’s not surprised to learn the study also found the death rate for Black New Yorkers from heat strokes was more than twice as high as that for white New Yorkers.

“I do hope that now that the city has these learnings and these studies that they continue to do the research to know what are the differences, why these disparities are actually occurring,” Charles said.

Officials said lack of equitable access to resources — like jobs, housing and health care — are the reasons for the disparities.

“It shouldn’t be happening, especially this day in age, where people are dying over heat. We have technology and the community so there should be no deaths,” said James Lee Gambardella, another resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Dr. Dante Robinson, who works at King’s County Hospital, said he sees the impact structural racism plays in the health care system.

“I see the consequences of it,” Dr. Robinson said. “It all goes in line with health disparities in the Black community overall. We are most likely to die of many other things.”

The report found people are more likely to die from heat-related causes at home.

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management this week has stressed the importance of the city’s cooling centers.

“We have about 572 cooling centers open around the city,” said NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol. “We are also encouraging folks to think more broadly about cool options and cool spaces. You can go to the beach; you can go to parks.”

Cooling centers across the city will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day.

For more information on how to beat the heat this summer, head here.